Many Australians will receive the greatest gift of all this Christmas Day—good weather.
The Bureau of Meteorology has released its first official Christmas Day forecast and it is promising warm and dry weather for much of the country.
A high pressure system moving east to west across southern Australia will lead to mild and settled conditions, said meteorologist Jackson Browne on Sunday.
There’s a chance of rain and storms for the northern half of the country, including places like Weipa in the Gulf of Carpentaria and extending into the Northern Territory, however.
That’s due to tropical moisture coming in from Indonesia and the Coral Sea.
The mercury in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and Adelaide should peak between 27C and 30C degrees.
Perth residents will be sweating a little more, with an expected top of 34C degrees.
That’s the same top as Darwin, where there'll be a shower or two.
Browne said it would be hot across the interior of the country, including a top of 39C degrees in Alice Springs, and the heat will extend north into Western Australia.
But cooler minimum temperatures mean people shouldn’t expect heatwave conditions.
In Hobart, the maximum expected temperature is 23C degrees.
“The mostly settled weather also means it won’t be too windy, except for those locations that might see a storm or two,” Browne said.
“For those on the beach or on the water, seas and swell look fairly calm across most of the country.”
The BOM emphasised that the forecast could change.
“We know Australians eagerly await our Christmas Day forecast,” Browne said.
“Should Christmas lunch be inside or outside, will the surf be safe for a swim, will it be wet on the roads; these are just some of the questions we help you answer each year.”
