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The '''2009 southeastern Australia heat wave''' was a [[heat wave]] that commenced in late January and led to record-breaking prolonged high temperatures in the region. The heat wave is considered one of the, if not the, most extreme in the region's history.<ref name="stories1">{{cite news | title = Heatwave record set in Melbourne | work = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | publisher = ABC News | date = 30 January 2009 | url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/30/2478827.htm | accessdate = 1 February 2009}}</ref> During the heat wave, fifty separate locations set various records for consecutive, highest daytime and overnight temperatures. The highest temperature recorded during the heat wave was {{convert|48.8|°C|°F}} in [[Hopetoun, Victoria|Hopetoun]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], a record for the state.<ref name="SCS17d"/> Many locations through the region recorded all-time high temperatures including capital cities [[Adelaide]], which reached its third-highest temperature, {{convert|45.7|°C|°F}}, and [[Melbourne]], which recorded its highest-ever temperature on record, {{convert|46.4|°C|°F}}. Both cities broke records for the most consecutive days over {{convert|40|°C|°F}}, while [[Mildura, Victoria]] recorded an all-time record twelve consecutive days over {{convert|43|°C|°F}}.
The exceptional heat wave was caused by a slow-moving [[Atmospheric pressure|high-pressure system]] that settled over the [[Tasman Sea]], with a combination of an intense [[Tropical Cyclone|tropical low]] located off the [[North West Australia]]n coast and a [[monsoon trough]] over [[Northern Australia]], which produced ideal conditions for hot tropical air to be directed down over southeastern Australia.<ref name="SCS17d">{{Citation | title = The exceptional January–February 2009 heatwave in south-eastern Australia | publisher = National Climate Centre | work = Bureau of Meteorology | page = 2 | date = 12 February 2009 | url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs17d.pdf }}</ref> The heat began in South Australia on 25 January but became more widespread over southeast Australia by 27 January. A weak [[Weather front|cool change]] moved over the southern coastal areas bringing some relief on 30 January,<ref name="SCS17d"/> including Melbourne, where the change arrived that evening, dropping temperatures to an average of {{convert|30.8|°C|°F}}. Higher temperatures returned on the following weekend with Melbourne recording its hottest day since records began in 1855, {{convert|46.4|°C|°F}},
The heat wave generated extreme fire conditions during the peak of the [[2008–09 Australian bushfire season]], causing many [[bushfire]]s in the affected region, contributing to the extreme bushfire conditions on 7 February, also known as the [[Black Saturday bushfires]], which claimed 173 lives in Victoria.<ref name="VicPol">{{cite web|title=Bushfire update |work=Victorian Government |publisher=Victoria Police |date=9 February 2009 |url=http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=19190 |accessdate=9 February 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313151520/http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=19190 |archivedate=13 March 2009 }}</ref>
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