UPDATE: SWAN Hill is headed for a top of 36 degrees on Sunday, 39 degrees on Monday and 38 on Tuesday, according to the latest weather forecast.
Temperatures are expected to dip back to the mid-20s for the remainder of the week.
EARLIER: LOCAL farmers are bracing for a swift transition into summer this weekend, with temperatures set to soar to close to 40 degrees.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the Swan Hill region is looking at a top of 36 degrees tomorrow and sunny skies.
On Sunday, the temperature will push even higher with an expected top of 38 degrees, combined with north-westerly winds. That’s about 10 degrees above average for this time of year.
It’s concerning news for the region’s broadacre farmers, a majority of whom expect their crop yields to take a massive hit following a month of low rainfall.
What’s more, forecasters say there is no rain whatsoever in the foreseeable future.
BOM forecaster Stuart Coombs said while there was a cool change on Tuesday predicted, it would not see any moisture further than the dividing range. Even then, it would most likely be minimal, possibly one millimetre.
“Southern Wimmera is about as far as any rainfall might reach, unfortunately for local farmers the outlook is not good,” he said.
Mellool farmer Brett Dunn is taking the weekend’s weather forecast with a grain of salt.
While the seasoned farmer acknowledges it is not good news, he has decided to take it in his stride and see what happens.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of today’s (Friday, October 2) Guardian…
