SYDNEY, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The weather being experienced by Melburnians in March is so hot that it has exceeded temperatures that hit the city during summer.
Dean Stewart, a senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, said that it had been an "extraordinary" start to autumn in Victoria.
With temperatures expected to remain above 25 degrees Celsius for at least another week, Melbourne is on track to record its warmest March in 77 years.
"Our average so far this March has been 27.5 degrees Celsius, which makes it warmer than any of the months we had over summer," Stewart told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday.
"January we averaged 26.5C, February 25.9C.
"So we're actually higher than any of our summer temperatures so far."
The unseasonal weather could also break the Melbourne record for hottest March nights with the minimum temperature experienced in the first two weeks of autumn being 16.9C, slightly warmer than the record month-long average of 16.8C.
"The forecast is we're really expecting further days in the low 30s or mid to high 20s," Stewart said.
"That average looks like being at least sustained, perhaps increasing over the coming week.
"So we're on track at least to be the second warmest March on record."
There has been no relief from the weather for Melburnians with just 0.4 millimeters falling in the first two weeks of the month, the driest start since 2007.
"The rain's been very light on over majority of the state. The only area that has received more than about 10 millimetres of rain has been out in the far eastern parts of Victoria, out in east Gippsland," Stewart said.
