Melbourne’s maximum daily temperatures are expected to rise as much as 1.6 degrees by 2030, and could increase up to 2.7 degrees just two decades later if global emissions remain high.



New CSIRO climate change projections show Melbourne could feel more like north-eastern Victoria, where sustained heat is common, by the 2050s under a worst-case scenario.

The Black Saturday bushfires followed a period of drought and extreme heat. Credit:Rob Carew

Melbourne in recent years has endured just over eight days a year on average above 35 degrees. By 2050, that could rise to between 13 and 21 days of extreme heat.

To get a sense of the possible climate changes for Victoria's capital, the CSIRO suggests Melburnians take a look north to Wangaratta.