The South Australian town of Andamooka has registered Australia's first 50°C since 2022 as a gruelling week-long heatwave continues to grip several states.
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 ‘heat dome’.
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 – a process called subsidence warming. When these heat domes last for several days, like we have seen this week, the heat can become extreme.
SA outback hits 50°C
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°C on Thursday this week.
This was the highest temperature so far during this week’s heatwave and Andamooka’s highest temperature in records dating back to 1969. It’s also just the third time 50°C has been officially recorded in SA and the first time it’s happened in the state since 1960.
Andamooka's maximum temperature on Thursday was also the 8th 50°C on record in Australia.
The last time an Australian weather station reached 50°C was in 2022, when Onslow (50.7°C) Roebourne (50.5°C) and Mardie (50.5°C) all surpassed this mark.
Other extremely high temperatures this week
While Andamooka is the first official weather station to reach 50°C in Australia this week, a lot of other places have hit the high 40s over the past few days.
Over the four-day period from Monday to Thursday this week, nine separate weather stations across New South Wales and SA exceeded 49°C. These locations were:
50.0°C at Andamooka, SA on Thursday
49.8°C at Marree, SA on Thursday
49.7°C at Pooncarie, NSW on Tuesday
49.6°C at Renmark, SA on Tuesday
49.6°C at Roxby Down, SA on Thursday
49.5°C at Ceduna, SA on Monday
49.2°C at Borrona Downs, NSW on Wednesday
49.1°C at Fowlers Gap, NSW on Tuesday
49.0°C at Wanaaring, NSW on Tuesday
It’s likely that other areas of outback SA and NSW exceeded 50°C this week in between official weather stations.
Image: Forecast maximum temperatures over SA on Friday, January 30, 2026, according to the ACCESS-C model. Source: Weatherzone.
What makes a temperature official?
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.
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.
Image: A Stevenson Screen in Wagga Wagga Airport, NSW. Source: Bidgee / Wikimedia Commons
Stevenson screens are typically placed over grass away from objects like buildings and trees that can reflect or absorb heat. The thermometer inside the Stevenson Screen is positioned at 1.2 metres above the ground and the screen is faced towards the south in Australia (so its door opens away from the sun).
A Stevenson Screen allows air to circulate inside while sheltering the thermometer from rain and direct sunlight. It is common for non-official thermometers to register higher temperatures compared to official weather stations, particularly when they are exposed to direct sunlight or heat radiating from nearby objects.