More than 30,000 residents of one state have been told to evacuate as intense bushfires rage – with parts of Australia on the brink of a heatwave.
Melbourne could reach temperatures of up to 37 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, while Adelaide could see a day of as high as 33 degrees Celsius, and Sydney could see highs of 36 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
A cool change is expected to bring some respite for residents of Melbourne and Adelaide late Wednesday night.
Victorians, meanwhile, have been told to flee fire hazard zones, while some areas in the state’s west could be consumed by catastrophic and extreme warnings.
The bushfire in Bayindeen, northwest of Ballarat, was still burning on Wednesday after authorities released a map showing the blaze could sweep through areas including Beaufort, Elmhurst, Glenbrae, Amphitheatre, Lexton, Learmonth and Clunes.
Residents in the affected areas – around 30,000 – received a text message on Tuesday urgently asking them to leave by noon.
A fire is seen in Raglan, Victoria last week. Victorians, meanwhile, have been told to flee fire hazard zones while they still can
Fire warnings in Victoria with catastrophic conditions in Wimmera
‘Do not travel to these areas. Do not wait for the forest fire to spread closer before moving to a safer location,” the warning read.
“The Bayindeen fire could increase significantly and become uncontrollable. If you don’t leave today you could become isolated and your route to safer locations will be blocked.”
Temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius and wind gusts of up to 80 kilometers per hour were expected to fan the flames in the area.
The Bayindeen fire had destroyed more than 21,300 hectares on Tuesday.
Residents were warned to leave on Wednesday morning, while those in regions with extreme fire danger were also told to flee.
The areas of extreme fire danger on Wednesday were the Mallee, Northern Country, North Central, Central and South West regions.
Mildura was forecast to reach 44 degrees Celsius and other areas were also expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius before a cool change hits central parts of Victoria after 8pm.
Residents fleeing danger zones were urged to head to built-up areas such as Ballarat, Ararat and Maryborough.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan had previously warned that Wednesday would be the worst day of the fires.
“Tomorrow is likely to be one of the most dangerous fire days Victoria has seen in recent years,” she said on Tuesday.
Residents of elderly care centers in the affected areas have been evacuated from Langi Kal Kal prison along with prisoners.
As many as 100 schools have been closed.
The final days of summer will bring a wild mix of weather conditions across Australia, including widespread rain and thunderstorms, sweltering heatwaves and dangerous fire conditions (pictured for Wednesday)
Smoke from a forest fire in Bayindeen was seen billowing into the sky last Thursday
Victoria Police strategic commander Jason Templar told a Pyrenees Shire Council meeting in Beaufort on Tuesday afternoon that rapid response teams would be ready to close roads on Wednesday as ordered by the incident controller.
“The message about getting out and getting out early is so important because as soon as those roads close, that’s it,” he said Tuesday.
“Today or early tomorrow morning is the time to get out… and the reason we’re closing them is purely for public safety, it’s too dangerous to be on those roads.”
Beaufort’s urgent care center was closed on Wednesday and the Bayindeen bushfire threatened to knock out power to homes if it came across the Western Highway.
Pyrenees Shire Council Mayor Robert Vance warned his constituents: ‘This beast is a reality’.
“If the beast is gone (and) has a blackout, we will be there to help everyone,” he said.
About 500 firefighters were again expected on the ground, with more than 60 aircraft ready to fight the fire and any new fires.
The NSW Rural Fire Service – which has deployed 25 fire engines and 110 of its own firefighters to help tackle the Bayindeen blaze – has additional aircraft on standby close to the Victorian border.
Extreme fire danger was also expected for much of eastern South Australia on Wednesday, with Emergency Services Minister Joe Szakacs warning the state’s firefighters were facing some of the toughest weather conditions this summer.
Seven South Australian districts were rated for extreme fire danger on Wednesday.
“It’s completely reasonable that the community has enjoyed some downtime this summer, and we’re just days away from fall,” Szakacs told reporters.
“(But) complacency must be put aside. We are facing some serious circumstances as a state.”
The Bayindeen fire in Victoria has so far destroyed six homes, but more are expected to be affected as conditions ease.
Smoke from bushfires north of Beaufort, near Ballarat, can be seen burning
The areas of extreme fire danger in Victoria on Wednesday were the Mallee, Northern Country, North Central, Central and South West regions (pictured is a firefighter in Raglan, Victoria)
It comes as one The broad low-pressure system and associated monsoon trough are expected to produce showers and thunderstorms over much of northern Australia, including parts of Queenslandthe Northern Territory and Western Australia.
The wet and stormy weather will spread further south and west during the week.
Weather zone meteorologist Ben Domensino said the week’s rain will fall over northern and central Australia over areas where groundwater remains from Tropical Cyclone Lincoln.
“This will increase the risk of flash flooding and road closures in the outback with periods of heavy rain over the next week,” Domensino said.
In other capitals, such as Brisbane, residents are in for a warm and sunny week, with temperatures likely to hover around 30 degrees.
Perth residents will experience a warm and dry week, with the mercury expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius on Thursday and 34 degrees Celsius on Friday.
Hobart may see some rain on Wednesday with a high of 31 degrees Celsius, while the rest of the week will remain around 20 degrees.
Canberra will be dry and hot, with a sweltering temperature of 34 degrees Celsius expected on Thursday.
Darwin is still in the wet season with storms forecast this week and a maximum of 32 degrees Celsius.