Water usage has soared and the roads have melted as Canberrans battle the heatwave covering south-east Australia.
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Canberrans again hit the taps en masse for some liquid relief on Thursday, a day after similar 40-degree heat pushed consumption to an eight-year high of 250 million litres.
Usage on Thursday rose to 273 megalitres, a daily level not seen since March 13, 2006.
The surge in water use - which ACTEW Water said had caused discolouration in some locations - meant Canberra's residents were guzzling 38 per cent more water than they did on either day of last weekend.
In other words, an 8-degree rise in maximum temperature - from Sunday's 32 to Thursday's tick under 40 - led to daily consumption of an extra 76 million litres.
An ACTEW spokeswoman said the March 2006 usage high was set on a 34-degree Sunday when stage 1 restrictions operated.
''It would have been back in the days of odds and even watering, where each house watered according to their house numbers - odds were odd nights and evens on even nights.
''The Sunday was always a more popular night for watering because more people were around [for garden watering] … Remember we were in drought in 2006.''
It was stones not water that the capital's roads received on Friday, as Roads ACT acted to prevent heat damage on some of the city's driving routes.
The ACT Emergency Services Agency said crushed stone was being placed on several roads, with signs warning of loose stones posted at all sites where the ''treatment'' was applied.
''Motorists are advised to drive with caution in the heat and watch for loose stone signage,'' the ESA said. ''In some areas - depending on the extent of the problem, the type of road and the volume and speed of traffic - a reduced speed limit may be implemented.''
No details were given of which suburbs or roads had been targeted, but a disconcerting patch of stones was managed by this reporter on the western end of Parkes Way at the foot of Black Mountain.
The ESA said the stones would be removed with the forecast cooler weather next week.