Canberrans planning an Aussie barbecue for Christmas are urged to choose a shaded area and lunch over dinner to avoid snags with a side of showers.
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The capital could see its hottest Christmas Day in 13 years, and there's a chance rain and thunderstorm clouds will replace clear skies as the day progresses.
Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Acacia Pepler said the last time Christmas day exceeded Sunday's expected top of 32 degrees was in 2003, when the mercury hit 32.7.
"On average, Christmas in Canberra is 27 degrees," Ms Pepler said.
"The warmest Christmas day was in 37 degrees back in 1957."
Most days leading up to Christmas are tipped to be pleasantly warm with tops hovering around the high 20s, only climbing into the early 30s on Tuesday and Sunday.
Duty forecaster at the BOM Rob Taggart said Canberrans should plan outdoor festivities for earlier in the day, which he forecasts to be clear, while there was a 50 per cent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and early evening.
"It's looking like there aren't going to be any wet days this week so there will still be time for barbecues during the days," Mr Taggart said.
"But some afternoons and evenings are at risk of rain and thunderstorms. There will also be increasing humidity this week, with Christmas looking the most humid at this stage."
Wednesday and Thursday appear to be the best options for enjoying sunshine, as Mr Taggart said they're the only days with a nill chance of rain this week.
But those unhappy about the rain shouldn't fret about too heavy a downpour, with only up to a few millimetres forecast on the other days.
While it was too early for a near-accurate forecast, Ms Pepler said Christmas showers were not uncommon in Canberra.
"About a third of Christmas days have had some rainfall," she said.
"Last year was dry but in 2014 there was 4.8 millimetres recorded. The wettest Christmas in Canberra was in 1968 when there was 31.5 millimetres, and the coldest Christmas was in 1947 when the maximum was just 14.5 degrees."
While Christmas Day is tipped to be hotter and wetter than usual, the forecast low of 14 degrees is only one degree warmer than the average minimum temperature for December 25.
Mild nights dropping to between 12 and 14 degrees were also forecast for the days leading up to Christmas.
Ms Pepler urged Canberrans to be sun smart during outdoor activities and remember that UV ratings could be just as extreme on cloudy days.
