Temperatures are soaring across Australia’s south-east, sparking fears of renewed fire danger in three states and the ACT after a week of respite.
Temperatures in Melbourne and Victoria’s north will climb up to 40 degrees on Thursday and Friday – and are expected to top that in central and western NSW at the weekend.
They will also be well above 40 in South Australia, where Thursday will be the most dangerous day. Severe bushfire conditions have been declared for six districts ahead of soaring temperatures and rising winds.
Adelaide is forecast to reach 42 degrees on Thursday, while Cummins, on Eyre Peninsula, will has a forecast high of 46.
The heat and high-risk conditions will be relatively short-lived in SA, with storms moving across the state on Friday ahead of heavier weekend rain.
In NSW, the weekend will bring the most dangerous conditions. Firefighters have urged communities near blazes in the state’s south-east to remain vigilant.
“Elevated fire dangers are set to return over coming days. It is important that you’re prepared in the event a fire threatens,” the NSW Rural Fire Service tweeted on Wednesday.
Elevated fire dangers are set to return over coming days. Widespread Very High and Severe fire dangers forecast for parts of NSW particularly in the south east. Large fires continue to burn in these areas. It is important that you're prepared in the event a fire threatens #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/AelxYXcST1
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 28, 2020
Bureau of Meteorology acting NSW manager Jane Golding said ongoing fires, dry conditions and increased temperatures would bring an elevated fire risk.
The heat is coming from a system of hot air moving south of the Australian continent that will drag hot air across Victoria and the NSW coast.
“Broad areas of western NSW, out towards the South Australian border and into the western slopes may not drop below 30 degrees for some nights over the next few days,” Ms Golding said on Wednesday.
There are more than 70 fires burning across NSW.
There is also the 15,000-hectare Orroral Valley fire in the ACT, where firefighters have been taking advantage of cooler conditions to try to contain it.
Smoke from the blaze, south of Canberra, was expected to linger over the capital on Thursday. The ACT has a “very high” fire danger rating for Thursday, ahead of temperatures of up to 38 degrees.
Max temperature forecast for Friday. Severe heatwave conditions developing this week, with very hot and humid days and nights to come before a change moves across #Victoria on Saturday. Check your forecast here: https://t.co/x7fOGUJqJs #VicWeather pic.twitter.com/wHLaoC8JUN
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) January 28, 2020
Further south, Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp warned of the danger ahead.
“Thursday will be warm, but Friday is a significant day for us with elevated fire conditions,” he said.
“There’ll be storms that come through with the potential for dry lightning, so again it’s a challenging day for us.”
Tasmania won’t escape the danger, with walking tracks closed in the island state on Thursday and Friday due to severe fire danger.
Hobart is forecast to reach 38 degrees on Friday, and there are fire bans across much of the state.
-with AAP
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