Weekend weather: Dream run of weather for South West region as thousands flock to region for long weekend

As thousands of travellers pack the car and hit the road, the South West is set for a near-perfect run of long weekend weather. Tourist hotspot Margaret River is set to be heaving this weekend, despite the move to Level 2 COVID-19 restrictions, and the town is forecast for sunny and 28C days on both Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, Margs is set for another sunny day with a top of 29C. Tourists are also likely to head to Busselton in their droves tonight, with the City headed for a top of 30C on Saturday, before 31C days are forecast for both Sunday and Monday. And the warm days are set to stay, with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Busselton all forecast for 31C. In Bunbury, Saturday and Sunday are both set to be 30C days, before a similar run of 31C days. Collie will be slightly cooler on Saturday and Monday, but will reach a top of 32C on Sunday. Restrictions which came into effect as the State’s hard border came down on Thursday will mean capacity at popular pubs, breweries and wineries in the region will be reduced. As part of the Level 2 restrictions announced by Premier Mark McGowan, venues must follow a 2sqm rule and 150-person capacity limit with seated-only service, while stadium events are to be capped at 50 per cent capacity. Busselton’s Shelter Brewing Company general manager Paul Maley said his venue was forced to reduce its capacity by almost 80 per cent for the long weekend, a time when his and other hospitality businesses count on increased earnings to tide them over during the low season. “Hospitality businesses make the most of high value (periods) and hold on in low trading periods,” he said. “While we’re happy to carry the bag a bit, when 30,000 can go to the stadium and the casino gets the 4sqm rule, it does seem a bit unfair for Shelter and other breweries in the South West to only have a 150 person cap.”