Canberra's school holiday makers reveled the sunshine and heat on Thursday, as temperatures looked to be a mixed bag over the Labour Day long weekend.
Thursday saw tops of 27 degrees with some relatively light winds; Friday was forecast to be much the same, with another peak of 27 and a 10 per cent chance of rain.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, Helen Reid, said the temperatures were well above average for this time of year; for October 3 in particular, it usually hit about 20 degrees.
"The hottest October 3 got to [about] 29 degrees; that was in 2008," she said.
"Saturday will bring it back down to average."
A weak cold front was set to move through the south of NSW and the ACT heading into the weekend, and see temperatures drop down to about 21 degrees on Saturday.
A possible shower was also forecast.
Temperatures would jump back up to 27 degrees on Sunday, Ms Reid said, before falling again on Monday, and plunging into the working week. Tuesday was forecast to see tops of 18 degrees, and Wednesday, tops of 17.
"That's going to be associated with a more significant cold front," Ms Reid said.
A trough was lurking down the western side of the ranges, which would mean cooler weather along the coast, but warmer temperatures inland over the next few days, Ms Reid said.
Although a slight dusting of snow on the mountains could not be entirely ruled out for the rest of October, the ACT's overall outlook for the coming months was hot and dry.
The forecast was welcome news for Canberra Aqua Park director, William Yeap, who intends to open his inflatable obstacle course to the public on November 9. The adventure park, which covers about 1600 square metres, will be set up on Lake Burley Griffin at Black Mountain Peninsula.
Tickets were available to buy online, and a "soft" launch would be held on November 8 to train staff.
"People really like [the idea] and are looking forward to [seeing the park]," Mr Yeap said.
"From the week of the November 4, people in the area will start to see colourful inflatables being put up on the lake."
Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
