Australia’s weather forecasters have some grim news for World Cup teams playing in this northern Queensland city next month: it’s going to get hotter.
The mercury climbed to 37ºC on Monday, the highest temperature since February 2002 and the hottest September day on record.
Next month tropical Townsville will host northern hemisphere teams Scotland, Japan and France in three Pool B games.
Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson Peter Gould said Townsville could suffer more scorchers as south-westerly winds blew inland heat on to the coast.
”We are getting into that time of year when we can have these shocking hot days,” he said on Tuesday.
Gould said the Townsville temperatures were usually cooled by sea breezes in the evenings, when the three World Cup games are scheduled.
But playing in the evening would also create problems.
”Once you get the sea breeze you get the humidity as well,” Gould said.
”It’s a lot harder doing outdoor sport in high humidity rather than low humidity.
”One of the mechanisms the body uses to lose heat is through perspiration but high humidity tends to retard the evaporation from your skin.”
The Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology’s spring outlook points to higher-than-average day- and night-time temperatures across Australia until the end of November.
Experts have told teams heading down under for the World Cup that acclimatisation is the key to handling the heat.
The Wallabies have spent five days training in Darwin and adopting new lightweight jerseys.
Japan spent a week in Townsville earlier this year, while Scotland have trained in the greenhouses at Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens.
Scotland play Japan on October 12, France take on Japan on October 18 and Fiji meet Japan on October 23.
Teams have been told to keep their players well hydrated. Ice vests and ice baths will also be available. — Sapa-AFP