During the past few days much of WA has been subject to well above normal maximum temperatures, even in the southern part of the state.
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Salmon Gums recorded a temperature of 35.3, easily a record high for early September and the hottest in September since 35.6 was recorded on September 27, 1961.
September 30, 1961 was one of Victoria's hottest-ever September days.
The Goldfields region towns all recorded maximas on September 10 of 35 to 36, more than 10 degrees above the September normal.
There is no sign of this unseasonal warmth easing before mid-month.
Further north Broome with 38 degrees on Wednesday September 11 also had one of its hottest days for early September on record.
Nearby centres in the Kimberley region may reach 40 degrees much earlier than normal.
On Monday September 9, Perth had a maximum temperature of 33.1, the second-highest temperature for September on record, the highest being 34.2 on September 20, 2014.
Forrest in southern WA had 37.7 on Wednesday September 11, another new record high for early September.
This above-normal warmth in WA will gradually extend to north-east Victoria and persist for most of the time during the third and fourth weeks of this month.
It will continue periodically to the end of October or beginning of November.
It will also continue dry until rain arrives in early November.
The first fortnight of September last year in WA was decidedly cooler than this September and there were not many warm-to-hot days in north-east Victoria until October 31 and not much rain as well.
Last weekend's cold, stormy blast extended well north into Queensland.
Parkes recorded minus 4.0 on September 11, a record low for September which follows minus 3.3 in September 2017 and minus 3.6 in September 2018.
Cairns recorded 9.3, the coldest for September for 90 years and Palmerville recorded 5.0, the coldest September morning on record, breaking the old record low of 6.3 set back in 1913.
The strong winds are aggravating the big dry and contributing to the unusually early bushfires in Queensland.
My son and his family made a desperate effort to head to Queensland after experiencing months of cold, wet and windy conditions in Glen Waverley.
Their first day in Coonabarabran was the hottest day for early September since 1982.
The next day they ran into near-heatwave conditions of 35 at Moree and on arriving at Rainbow Beach the days have been around 26.