Warmer than average spring ahead as temperatures soar across Australia

A warmer than average spring has been predicted with temperatures set to soar across most of Australia and rainfall expected to fall below average.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says spring temperatures across the country will rise in the coming days, with some cities already recording their warmest spring day in years.

WATCH VIDEO ABOVE: Warmer than average temperatures across Australia this spring.

Queensland is predicted to be an exception to the warm weather pattern, with the state’s far north likely to stay within normal spring temperatures, according to senior meteorologist Jonathan Howe.

“As if this switch has been flicked, the sun is shining today and the temperatures are rising,” Howe said on Tuesday, the first day of spring.

“And that will set the scene for what is expected to be a warmer than average spring for most of the country.”

Several cities are already experiencing a taste of the warm conditions, with Melbourne and Canberra set to see their warmest start to spring in five years.

Sydney is forecast to reach 30 degrees by the weekend, while Brisbane could hit 32 degrees.

In terms of rainfall, a drier than usual start to the season is expected across the east coast and the southwest of the country.

However, central Australia could see more rainfall, particularly as tropical moisture moves from the Indian Ocean.

Howe said El Nino is a major influence on the weather pattern, driving above-average temperatures and combining with warm sea surface temperatures off both the east and west coasts.

“We’re just not going to get those typical spring cold fronts across Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales, due to a lot of what we call blocking high pressure systems over the next few months,” he said.

BOM has reminded people to keep an eye on the forecast as the months progress.