Warmer than usual autumn in store for Canberra: Bureau of Meteorology

The bureau said severe heatwave conditions eased on Thursday although low intensity heatwave conditions will continue in the coming days, with temperatures expected to reach a top of 32 degrees on the first day of autumn.

Temperatures are also expected to reach a top of 29 over the weekend.

It comes ahead of what's forecast to be a warmer than usual autumn, with the Bureau's long-range forecast projecting a 70 per cent chance of Canberra seeing above-median maximum temperatures from March to May and an 80 per cent chance of above-median minimum temperatures.

The bureau cites 20.4 degrees as the historical median maximum temperature and 7.3 degrees as the historical median minimum temperature for this period at Canberra Central.

Senior climatologist Hugh McDowell said the season is also expected to be on the drier end, with a 60 to 65 per cent chance of below-median rainfall.

"The start of March actually has an increased chance of being wetter than average, so we might start off a little bit wet through the start of March and then trend to something drier through the rest of the season."

The Bureau said El Nino currently persists but a "steadily weakening trend is evident in its oceanic indicators".

Mr McDowell said there were a few other factors influencing the forecast.

"There's warmer than average sea surface temperatures across the Tasman Sea, that gives us warmer air across the Tasman and that affects the temperatures across the nearby continent," he said.

Mr McDowell said climate change was also a factor, adding that the nation's climate has warmed "quite significantly" since the bureau started keeping records.

Australia's climate has warned by 1.5 degrees between 1910 and 2023, according to the Bureau.

This has head to an increase in the "frequency of extreme heat events".

"As we move into the cool season, again, it's potentially a climate change signal that we're looking at drier than average conditions," Mr McDowell said.