Temperatures are rising across central and eastern Australia as days of searing heat move in.
Oodnadatta, in northern South Australia, had reached 37.5 degrees by 9.30am (local time) on Friday.
It is forecast to reach 44, with 47 degrees to follow on Saturday.
In NSW, Dubbo had hit 28 degrees by about the same time – with a forecast top of 40 on Friday, followed by another on Saturday.
The major cities won’t escape the heat either. Adelaide is forecast to hit 40 on Friday and 38 on Saturday.
Temperatures in the low 40s are expected in Sydney, rising even higher in the city’s west.
Melbourne will reach the mid-30s on Friday, but a southerly change late in the day means will be spared the worst of the high temperatures. That won’t apply to northern Victoria, which is also expecting to be in the low 40s for several days.
Tweet from @BOM_NSW
The weather bureau has urged Australians to prepare for the searing heatwave, which will also bring a very high to severe fire risk. The heat will last into Monday, when it will move north into southern Queensland.
“This will increase the fire risk across much of state with Very High and Severe fire danger likely on the weekend. Plan and prepare now,” the NSW Rural Fire Service tweeted on Thursday.
“Hot weather is coming. With increased growth, there’s an increased risk of grass fires this season. Know what to do to get ready,” the RFS said.
There are already fire warnings for much of South Australia.
Last summer’s bush fires destroyed 2476 homes and claimed 26 lives and the RFS said it was important that families take time to prepare in case of a fire crisis.
If in a fire zone households must decide whether to leave early (your safest choice) or prepare to stay.
“Do not wait for an official warning to decide when it is time to leave,” the RFS site says.
Tweet from @BOM_SA
The BOM Head of Operational Climate Services Dr Andrew Watkins said “even short periods of hot and dry weather increase the risk of fire in summer’.
“This summer heatwaves may not reach the extreme temperatures of recent years, but may be of longer duration and more humid, which can still have a significant impact on human health,” he said on Thursday.
Tweet from @WaverleyCouncil
The BOM noted the weekend would bring temperatures up to 10 to 16 degrees above the average across the state for this time of the year.
“NSW will not be spared with temperatures climbing easily into the mid 40s for vast swathes of the western part of the state and even into the low 40s for some coastal areas,” meteorologist Helen Reid said.
“It will also be quite windy so we are keeping a close eye on the fire danger which is associated with this warm, heatwave situation,” Ms Reid said.
“It is going to be quite a volatile situation.”
-with AAP
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