Weipa sets heat records as prolonged Cape York heatwave continues

The far north Queensland town of Weipa has recorded 39 consecutive days above 36 degrees Celsius during a prolonged hot spell, as a severe regional heatwave looks set to enter its fourth week. Forecasters expect some easing later next week, but say the monsoonal rain needed for more substantial relief may not arrive until after Christmas.

Weipa has recorded 39 consecutive days above 36 degrees Celsius, and on Tuesday posted its hottest-ever November day at 39.9C. On Friday the town matched its 2024 record of 17 straight days above 37C, a mark the Saturday-morning report said it could surpass that day. A later daily result was not included in that report. Parts of Cape York Peninsula and the neighbouring Gulf Country have been under a severe heatwave warning since late October, with conditions rated extreme for about a week from 5 November.

The heat is biting into daily life. A local baker said sales of water and cold drinks had gone through the roof and the heat was even affecting his bread dough. The town's animal shelter has changed its opening hours to protect its dogs and volunteers, relying on frozen treats and constantly topped-up water buckets as the water quickly turns hot. Baker Josh Lyon, a resident for more than 20 years, said dough was rising so quickly that there was little time to get it into the oven. Shelter president Shayna Reeves said the heat lasted from sunrise to sunset.

In the Northern Peninsula Area, the Indigenous communities of Bamaga, Injinoo, Umagico, Seisia and New Mapoon have endured two months of scheduled nightly water outages from 9pm to 6am. The regional council says its water treatment plant cannot keep up with demand and reservoir levels are critically low. A new plant with 50 per cent more capacity is planned, but funding is still being secured.

Housing is another pressure point. Of about 3,500 social and community homes across Cape York, only 11 have air conditioning supplied by the state housing department, which says units are generally provided for tenants with health conditions and other tenants may install their own at their own cost. A 213 million dollar program funded by the Queensland and Australian governments aims to improve thermal comfort and energy efficiency in up to 40,000 social homes by 2031. The housing department said air conditioning is not standard in social housing and is generally supplied for tenants with health conditions; other tenants may apply to install their own at their own expense. The upgrade program includes energy-efficient fans and ceiling insulation. Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council business services manager Bill Guivarra argued that air conditioning should be standard in Cape York social homes, saying some elders found the heat unbearable. He described summers as feeling hotter, while saying he could not answer whether climate change explained his personal experience.

Health authorities said only one person was treated for heat stress on Cape York in the past week, but urged everyone in the warning zone to take extra care. The weather bureau said the warning for Gulf Country and Cape York Peninsula would continue through the weekend and into next week, easing in the latter half of the week, and that monsoonal rain may not arrive until after Christmas. A heatwave warning is also current for the Top End of the Northern Territory. Senior meteorologist David Crock said the pre-monsoon period is usually northern Australia's hottest, but the length and geographical reach of this heatwave were notable. Even as the heatwave signal eased, the weather would remain hot.

Illustrative dry ground, not Weipa or a current photograph of Cape York conditions.