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Adelaide sweats through record April hot spell

As if the ongoing dry spell in Adelaide has not been tough enough for local parks and gardens, the South Australian capital has now sweated through its hottest five-day April run since temperature records were first kept in 1877.

Maximum temperatures at Adelaide's West Terrace/ngayirdapira weather station over the last five days (from April 12 to 16) have all exceeded 32°C – the first time such a streak has been recorded in April.

Here are the maximums recorded over the last five days:

• Saturday 33.8°C
• Sunday 34.5°C
• Monday 33.7°C
• Tuesday 33.4°C
• Wednesday 32.2°C

While the mercury hasn't threatened the April record of 36.3°C (set in 2018), the daily high on each of the past five days was at least 10 degrees above the long-term April average maximum of 22.2°C.

READ MORE: Adelaide's driest start to the year since the 1980s

The unseasonably warm weather has been caused by slow-moving high pressure systems centred south of the mainland which have dragged warm air from Australia’s interior southwards.

But Adelaide's hot streak is about to end.

An approaching trough will cool things a little from Thursday through to Saturday – although maximums will stay above average in the mid-twenties.

Cooler air then arrives later on Saturday with a more significant trough and associated cold front. In addition to an influx of cooler air, this system will push showers onto southern parts of SA, including Adelaide.

After Adelaide’s 4th-driest start to a year on record, this won’t be drought-breaking rain, but the city's thirsty lawns should get at least a sprinkling.