More hot weather for Australia

Parts of SA prepare for five days above 40C

Preparations for Adelaide's third worst heatwave on record are being put in place as the city and other spots get set for five consecutive days of 40 degrees Celsius or above.

ABC

13 January, 2014

The Bureau of Meteorology says Adelaide has only twice had such a run of heat in its recorded history, most recenly in January 2009 and before that in 1908, with the temperature soaring above 40C for six days in a row on both occasions.

The Red Cross has called in about 40 additional volunteers for its Adelaide and Mount Gambier offices to make phone calls to vulnerable people, such as the elderly and disabled.

Executive director Helen Connolly says more than 3000 calls will be made to its usual clients and others who have registered for days of extreme heat.

"It means that we have to create physical space in the office," she said.

"We need to support people who are making these calls and we have to recognise that people are also worried about their own health in the heat so yeah, it will put a bit of extra stress on us."

Parts of the north and south-east, and the Riverland, are also expecting similar conditions and fire fighters, paramedics and the police are on high alert.

"Across all of our emergency services this week there will be in excess of 20,000 people available, should they be required," said SES state duty officer Scott Turner.

The Transport Department has changed some train timetables to cope with the extreme heat.

Trains on the Noarlunga line will arrive at intervals of about 15 minutes instead of the usual seven from 3:00pm.

Some peak services were cut on the Belair line but trains will run normally on the Gawler, Outer Harbor and Grange lines.

The department's Graham Sibery says extra carriages will be put on to maintain capacity.

"If we have a failure and we are trying to work around it, if we've got, let's say 15 to 20 percent less train movements, it's easier for us to get around that failure," he said.

Hot weather could interrupt national volleyball championships

Organisers of the National Junior Beach Volleyball Championships starting at Glenelg today may suspend play due to the heat.

More than 200 people from around Australia will compete in the four-day event.

Volleyball Australia chief executive Judy Flanagan says matches will only be played in the mornings and evenings with more drinks breaks.

"We have a very strong heat policy that we invoke in these situations," she said.

"Obviously the welfare and health of the participants is our number one priority above the competition itself. We will suspend play once temperatures get to 36C and beyond."

If Adelaide reaches its forecast maxima this week, it will be the first severe heatwave under a new national modelling system.