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Melbourne to hit 41°C during Australian Open

Source Weatherzone Thu 22 Jan 2026

Two distinct 40-degree heat spikes are coming to Melbourne – one on Saturday and another next Tuesday – with the Australian Open tennis at Melbourne Park likely to be impacted. This time last week, Melbourne was enjoying a run of relatively stable maximus in the mid-twenties. But because Melbourne’s summer weather is influenced by cool, maritime air south of Australia and dry scorching air from Australia’s interior, that pattern was never likely to last long. The temperature see-saw for which the city is famous is now set to swing into full effect. After a high of just 20°C this Thursday under cool southerly winds, Melbourne’s maximum is expected to soar up to 40°C on Saturday with gusty northerlies. Sunday will again be much milder with a top of 27°C, before the mercury again jumps up to around 41°C on Tuesday, and some models suggest it could get much hotter. Image: Predicted maximums in Victoria on Saturday, January 24, 2026, according to the ECMWF model. Source: Weatherzone. How does the Australian Open Extreme Heat Policy work? For fans and players at the Australian Open, the two heat spikes will likely result in activation of the Australian Open’s Extreme Heat Policy. The policy was developed in 2018 and implemented in 2019. It came after calls for a more robust policy first emerged in 2014, when Melbourne endured four consecutive days with blistering maximums of 42.0°C, 41.6°C, 43.4°C and 42.5°C from January 14-17 during the Australian Open. That was a remarkable run when you consider that Melbourne averages only one day of 40-degree heat in January, and the result was the Australian Open Extreme Heat Policy (EHP) which is based on a Heat Stress Scale (HSS). Image: Daily Forecast for Melbourne, Vic, on the Weatherzone app. Credit: Weatherzone. The HSS factors in more than just the temperature at Melbourne Park. In addition to air temperature, it also takes into account humidity, wind speed and radiant heat (the strength of the sun plus heat radiated from surrounding surfaces like the tennis court). Three of the courts at Melbourne Park – Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena – have retractable roofs. Under extreme or wet weather conditions, the tournament referee can decide to close the roof. Play can then continue after a pause while the roof is closed. On the outer courts with no roofs, longer breaks can be introduced during extreme heat and play can even be suspended. So while the Australian Open has no specific temperature threshold at which play is suspended, it’s likely that in coming days you’ll be hearing the phrases Extreme Heat Policy and Heat Stress Scale – and probably seeing roof closures mid-match on the show courts. - Weatherzone © Weatherzone 2026