![\"Andamooka,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/andamooka_50c.png\")
<\/p>\nTwo South Australian locations \u2013 Andamooka and Port Augusta\u00a0\u2013 have reached 50\u00b0C during the past two days as a gruelling week-long heatwave continues to grip several states.<\/p>\n
A large pool of extremely hot air has been lingering over southern and southeastern Australia this week thanks to a slow-moving upper-level high pressure system creating a phenomenon known as a \u2018heat dome\u2019.<\/p>\n
A heat dome occurs when hot air gets trapped beneath an upper-level high pressure system and air descending towards the ground makes the near-surface air become even hotter \u2013 a process called subsidence warming. When these heat domes last for several days, like we have seen this week, the heat can become extreme.<\/p>\n
SA outback hits 50\u00b0C<\/p>\n
A weather station at Andamooka, a small town located near Roxby Downs about 600 km to the north of Adelaide, registered a maximum temperature of 50.0\u00b0C on Thursday.\u00a0One day later, Port Augusta also reached 50.0\u00b0C shortly before 3pm ACDT.\u00a0These were both new maximum temperature records at these locations.<\/p>\n
Prior to this week, 50\u00b0C had only officially been recorded in SA on two occasions. These were both in 1960 when Oodnadatta reached 50.7\u00b0C on January 2 and 50.3\u00b0C on January 3.<\/p>\n
This week’s pair of 50\u00b0C maximum temperatures were also the 8th and 9th 50\u00b0C on record in Australia.<\/p>\n
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Image: Andamooka, SA reached 50\u00b0C on Thursday this week. Source: Weatherzone.<\/p>\n
Prior to this week, the last time an Australian weather station reached 50\u00b0C was in 2022, when Onslow (50.7\u00b0C) Roebourne (50.5\u00b0C) and Mardie (50.5\u00b0C) all surpassed this mark.<\/p>\n
Other extremely high temperatures this week<\/p>\n
While Andamooka is the first official weather station to reach 50\u00b0C in Australia this week, a lot of other places have hit the high 40s over the past few days.<\/p>\n
Over the five-day period from Monday to Friday this week, 12 separate weather stations across New South Wales and SA exceeded 49\u00b0C. These locations were:<\/p>\n
\n50.0\u00b0C at Andamooka, SA on Thursday
\n50.0\u00b0C at Port Augusta, SA on Friday
\n49.8\u00b0C at Marree, SA on Thursday and 49.5\u00b0C on Friday
\n49.7\u00b0C at Pooncarie, NSW on Tuesday
\n49.7\u00b0C at Tarcoola, SA on Friday
\n49.6\u00b0C at Renmark, SA on Tuesday
\n49.6\u00b0C at Roxby Downs, SA on Thursday and 49.4\u00b0C on Friday
\n49.5\u00b0C at Ceduna, SA on Monday
\n49.2\u00b0C at Borrona Downs, NSW on Wednesday
\n49.1\u00b0C at Fowlers Gap, NSW on Tuesday
\n49.0\u00b0C at Wanaaring, NSW on Tuesday
\n49.0\u00b0C at Woomera, SA on Friday
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It\u2019s likely that other areas of outback SA and NSW exceeded 50\u00b0C this week in between official weather stations.<\/p>\n
![\"Forecast](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/sa_max_temp_20260130.png\")
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Image: Forecast maximum temperatures over SA on Friday, January 30, 2026, according to the ACCESS-C model. Source: Weatherzone.<\/p>\n
What makes a temperature official?<\/p>\n
Measuring temperatures is remarkably easy these days. You can find thermometers in many modern cars, and you can even buy digital weather stations off the shelf at some shops. However, the Bureau of Meteorology has strict guidelines for measuring official temperatures across Australia.<\/p>\n
The Bureau measures temperatures using a thermometer placed inside a white louvered box called a Stevenson Screen. These boxes are used by most meteorological organisations around the world for international consistency.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1024px-AWS_stevenson_screen_at_Wagga_Airport.jpg\")
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