A COOL change is set to bring relief to Canberra amid record-breaking heatwave conditions and thick smoke that has blown into the territory from interstate bushfires.
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The territory sweltered through five consecutive days of temperatures above 37 degrees, the first recording of such prolonged heat since the Bureau of Meteorology records began in 1934, according to meteorologist Sean Carson.
He said a mild change was due, bringing temperatures back down to tops of 33 degrees on Sunday and 25 on Monday.
"It will cool down a little bit," Mr Carson said. "It'll be a good drop of 10 degrees on what we've had in recent times. We won't get back up to the extreme we've seen this week."
Mr Carson said there was the possibility of storms across the capital region throughout Sunday and Monday, but they would bring little rain to aid firefighters monitoring blazes near Yass, Cooma and Goulburn.
The cooler weather would bring relief for members of the ACT Ambulance Service, which reported 13 confirmed cases of heat-related illnesses since heatwave conditions set in on Monday.
At least six of those cases involved patients over 70, while eight had to be taken to hospital.
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a top of 31 on Tuesday, before temperatures drop to highs of 25 on Wednesday and 26 on Thursday.
Canberra's skies are expected to remain partly cloudy.
The ACT Emergency Services Agency has been advised the smoke haze over Canberra is expected to worsen.
The smoke was blown in from a 40 hectare-plus bushfire south of Braidwood in NSW. Smoke from fires in Victoria was also expected to reach the ACT on Saturday night.
The Health Directorate advised people with asthma, other chronic respiratory and or chronic cardiac diseases not to perform vigorous exercise and to stay inside if affected by smoke. People with asthma in particular should continue their medication and consult their general practitioner if they have difficulties.
