Aussies have been told to brace for catastrophic fire dangers and what could be the hottest Boxing Day Test on record this Christmas, amid scorching temperatures sweeping across the country.
South Australia and Victoria will be hardest hit by an impending heatwave that is likely to peak on Boxing Day, just in time for day one of cricket in Melbourne.
Sweltering hot conditions are expected across the country over Christmas, while thunderstorms are possible in parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Melbourne is expected to reach a top of 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday, while in Adelaide temperatures will rise to 37 degrees and 36 degrees Celsius over Christmas and Boxing Day.
Sydneysiders can expect a warm and dry Christmas and Boxing Day, but temperatures are expected to rise to a sweaty 38 degrees Celsius on Friday.
Southern parts of the country, such as Victoria, will be hit by dry and windy conditions, with locals on alert for bushfires.
Christie Johnson from the Bureau of Meteorology told Daily Mail Australia the heat will move east from Western Australia on Monday, with Perth seeing highs of 41 degrees Celsius at the start of the festive period.
“Christmas Day will be the hottest in South Australia, and Boxing Day will be the hottest in Victoria and Tasmania,” she said.
South Australia and Victoria will be hardest hit by an impending heatwave that is likely to peak on Boxing Day, just in time for the first day of cricket in Melbourne.
Sweltering warm conditions are expected across the country over Christmas, while thunderstorms are possible in parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory
Ms Johnson warned fire dangers in Victoria could extend to NSW on Friday.
“In Victoria, we predict catastrophic fire danger in the Gariwerd district, which includes the Grampians, where the ongoing major fire is raging, as well as extreme fire danger in all other western and central districts of the state,” she said.
“So there are some very important fire risk days ahead.”
Rain is expected to fall in Melbourne later on Thursday evening.
“Right now our forecast for Melbourne for Boxing Day is 40 degrees Celsius, which could potentially be the hottest first day of the Boxing Day Test on record,” Ms Johnson said.
‘The good news is that most models suggest any rain should hold off until after the end of play for the cricket, so evening or overnight showers are more likely to be behind that change.’
However, the fire danger in the state is serious after an out-of-control bushfire in Victoria’s Grampians National Park Tripled in size in just 24 hours.
The fire has destroyed 34,000 hectares and is still growing, despite more than 300 firefighters battling to bring it under control before extreme conditions on Boxing Day.
Emergency warnings are in place for people in the tourist hotspot Halls Gap and surrounding areas to leave immediately.
In other parts of the country, a high-pressure system is pushing into southeastern Australia, which will mean fairly stable conditions for much of the country.
An out-of-control fire in Victoria’s Grampians National Park has tripled in size over the weekend and firefighters are desperately trying to get the blaze under control before Boxing Day
In Tasmania, showers will ease as the weather system approaches, but on Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula, rain is likely to continue throughout the week.
The Top End is also likely to experience thunderstorms, while southern parts of the Northern Territory, as well as southern Queensland and New South Wales, will be heavily affected. dry and settled at the start of the week.
Brisbane
Monday
Sunny morning. A chance of thunderstorms in the west this afternoon and evening. Light winds, initially north to northeast 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon, then light in the late evening.
Maximum 32°C
Tuesday
Sunny. Light winds becoming southeasterly at 20 to 30 km/h during the middle of the day, becoming light later in the evening.
Min 22C Max 32C.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny. Southerly winds at 15 to 25 km/h, turning east to southeast in the morning, becoming light in the evening.
Min 20C Max 30C
Thursday
Mostly sunny. Light winds, east to northeast 15 to 20 km/h during the day, then light in the evening.
Min 19C Max 30C
Extreme heat will take hold of the country’s eastern and southern coasts as a high-pressure weather system works its way from Western Australia
Sydney
Monday
Mostly sunny. There is some chance of showers along the coastal strip in the early afternoon. Almost zero chance of rain elsewhere. Wind west to southwest 25 to 35 km/h, turning south at 30 to 40 km/h in the early afternoon, before trending south to southeast 15 to 20 km/h in the late afternoon. Winds up to 50 km/h along the coastal edge, changing southerly directions in the afternoon.
Maximum 29C
Tuesday
Sunny. Light wind, southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h early in the morning, then trending southeasterly to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning.
Min 16C Max 24C
Wednesday
Sunny. Light winds, easterly at 15 to 25 km/h during the day, then light in the evening.
Min 17C Max 26C
Thursday
Sunny. During the day the wind will be weak from the northeast, 20 to 30 km/h.
Min 18C Max 28C
Canberra
Monday
Partly cloudy. There is some chance of showers in the morning and early afternoon. Wind west 25 to 35 km/h.
Maximum 23C
Tuesday
Sunny. Light wind.
Min 6C Max 27C
Wednesday
Sunny. Light winds becoming northwest to northeast, 15 to 20 km/h, in the afternoon, becoming northeast to southeast in the evening.
Min 8C Max 31C
Thursday
Sunny. During the day light winds from north to northwest, 15 to 25 km/h.
Min 11C Max 35C
More than 300 firefighters are actively battling the blaze in the Grampians in an attempt to contain it before extreme fire danger warnings are issued later in the week.
Melbourne
Monday
Cloudy. High chance of showers around the Dandenongs, medium chance elsewhere. Wind southwest 30 to 45 km/h.
Maximum 18C
Tuesday
Cloudy. There is a moderate chance of showers in the morning and early afternoon. Wind southwest 15 to 25 km/h, turning south in the early afternoon.
Min 13C Max 22C
Wednesday
Mostly sunny. The chance of morning mist over the nearby hills. Light wind, southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon, then light in the evening.
Min 14C Max 30C
Thursday
Sunny day. Small chance of showers in the evening. Wind north to northeast 20 to 30 km/h, increasing to 45 km/h before turning westward in the evening 15 to 25 km/h.
Min 21C Max 40C
Hobart
Monday
Partly cloudy. The chance of showers is moderate, the chance will decrease tonight. Wind southwest 15 to 25 km/h, turning west 15 to 20 km/h late evening.
Maximum 17C
Tuesday
Partly cloudy. Small chance of showers. Wind west to southwest 15 to 25 km/h, light in the late evening.
Min. 11C Max. 21C
Wednesday
Partly cloudy. Small chance of showers. The wind blows weakly to west-west during the day to 15 to 20 km/hour and turns to south-east in the evening.
Min 12C Max 23C
Thursday
Partly cloudy. Small chance of showers, probably in the evening. The wind blows weakly during the day from 15 to 25 km/h and tends to the north in the afternoon.
Min 14C Max 30C
Christie Johnson from the Bureau of Meteorology warned Australians to stay alert for weather warnings that could affect them over Christmas week
Adelaide
Monday
Partly cloudy. Wind south to southwest 20 to 30 km/h, light in the late evening.
Maximum 23C
Tuesday
Clearing of the clouds. The wind will blow from the southwest, 15 to 20 km/h, in the middle of the day, turning east to southeast in the evening.
Min 12C Max 29C
Wednesday
Sunny. Wind east to northeast 15 to 25 km/h, trending west to northwest 15 to 20 km/h during the day, then becoming easterly in the evening.
Min 18C Max 37C
Thursday
Partly cloudy. There is a moderate chance of showers in the afternoon and evening. Wind northeast 15 to 25 km/h, turning west 30 to 45 km/h during the day.
Min 25C Max 36C
Perth
Monday
Sunny. A chance of thunderstorms with little or no rain around the hills in the afternoon and early evening. Wind northeast 25 to 35 km/h, turning southwest 20 to 30 km/h during the middle of the day. Wind gusts of up to 60 km/h over the hills and foothills in the morning.
Maximum 41°C
Tuesday
Sunny. Wind south to southwest 25 to 40 km/h.
Min 20C Max 31C
Wednesday
Mostly sunny. Wind south to southwest 30 to 45 km/h.
Min 15C Max 24C
Thursday
Sunny. Wind southerly 25 to 40 km/h.
Min 12C Max 25C
Darwin
Monday
Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, probably from late morning. The chance of thunder. Light wind.
Maximum 33°C
Tuesday
Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, probably in the afternoon and evening. The chance of thunder. Light wind.
Min 25C Max 33C
Wednesday
Partly cloudy. Small chance of showers, probably in the afternoon. The chance of thunder. Light wind.
Min 26C Max 34C
Thursday
Partly cloudy. Small chance of showers, probably in the afternoon. The chance of thunder. Light wind.
Min 26C Max 34C