Australia is sweltering today in substantial heat. No matter where you live it’s likely that you’re in for a real scorcher. Strangely it’s the top end that will cop the least of it. Darwin is in for a relatively cool 29 degrees and thunderstorms while Melbourne and Adelaide are set for top of 43 and 42 respectively. Even Canberra will be cooking at 37 degrees. In Melbourne at 9pm last night it was still around 35 degrees.

The extreme heat isn’t looking like easing anytime soon either, with temperatures in Melbourne and Adelaide expected to stay in the mid-to-high 30s for the next few days at least.

The result is that Adelaide and Melbourne are chewing through power at rates never before seen. According to AdelaideNOW, the ETSA has been forced to use load shedding (intentionally blacking out areas) to cope with the increased electricity use, especially in the city. Demand was up at 3383 megawatts, a record for Adelaide.

Melbourne hasn’t fared any better. Authorities are considering limiting power consumption to households after the city smashed the record for power consumption in one day, chewing through 10,500 megawatts as the thermometers hit 45 degrees.

Got any tips to beat the heat? Let us know... if your keyboard hasn't melted...