Hobart: HeatWatch projects up to 5 days over 35°C per year by 2090
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a heatwave warning for Hobart on Wednesday, ahead of two extreme heat days, 31°C on Wednesday, and over 35°C on Thursday. This is more than 10°C above the average maximum temperature for February. Heatwaves can be dangerous for many people, especially older people, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with medical conditions and people who are unwell.
Hobart has a historic baseline of 2 days over 35°C per year (based on 1981-2022 data). More recently, Hobart experienced 5 days of 35°C+ heat in 2019.
According to CSIRO-BoM projections, under a high emissions scenario, Hobart can expect up to 5 days per year over 35°C – more than double the historic baseline. Yet, if emissions are drastically limited, Hobart could keep the number of days over 35°C to just 2 in 2090, consistent with the historic baseline.