Millions of Australians are being warned to prepare for possible bushfires with rising temperatures and dry, windy conditions putting fire crews on alert.
Extreme fire danger is forecast for parts of NSW, WA and NT on Sunday.
“Warm weather is starting to build in many parts of eastern Australia and will also have significant impacts, with some nasty fire weather in the forecast,” Sky Weather meteorologist Rob Sharpe said on Friday.
Parts of the NT near Darwin are also sweltering due to a severe heatwave.
Residents in the Northern Rivers region of Grafton could endure two spells of 38 degrees Celsius on Sunday and next Wednesday.
Temperatures in Queensland are also expected to hover around 30 degrees until mid-week.
The air mass has continued to move eastwards over the weekend, with extreme fire danger forecast from northern NSW to metropolitan Sydney on Sunday.
Firefighters across the country are once again on high alert after battling to control large, out-of-control fires in Kempsey, NSW and Bundaberg, Queensland last week.
Millions of Australians are being warned to prepare for possible bushfires with rising temperatures and dry, windy conditions putting fire crews on alert
Temperatures are forecast to rise above 30 degrees in the south-east over the next week, and as high as 42 degrees in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Image: BSCH
NSW
After a mostly cool week, temperatures will rise in many parts of NSW on Sunday. Extreme fire danger is forecast for the Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney Region, Northern Slopes and North Western Fire Districts.
Total burn bans are in place for much of the state, stretching from Sydney to Coffs Harbor along the coast and to the Queensland border further inland.
The warm, sunny weather will continue into Monday, with Sydney’s worst heat – a high of 30 degrees Celsius in the CBD – settling in on Sunday.
The warm, windy weather has firefighters across the state on edge.
In Grafton, in the Northern Rivers region, residents could again experience uncomfortable heat of up to 38 degrees Celsius on Sunday and Wednesday.
ACT
A mainly sunny day is expected in the country’s capital on Sunday with a maximum temperature of 19 degrees.
Temperatures will rise steadily early next week, reaching a high of 27 degrees on Tuesday, before dropping to the low 20s for the rest of the week.
VICTORIA
Victorians are in for a cool, rainy Sunday with a low of 11 degrees Celsius in Melbourne.
Northern parts of the state, which experienced sweltering conditions on Friday, also received some relief, with a maximum temperature of 22 degrees Celsius in Mildura.
Warm, dry conditions this weekend. Photo Weatherzone 2.JPG
Total fire bans are in place for large parts of NSW. Image: RFS NSW
SA
A cloudy day awaits Adelaide residents, with a high of 18 degrees on Sunday.
QUEEN COUNTRY
Temperatures in Brisbane will rise into the high 30s from Sunday, with warm weather expected to continue until the middle of next week.
In Ipswich the temperature will rise towards 35 to 37 degrees next week.
TASMANIA
The southernmost state missed the hot, dry blast that arrived over the rest of the Southeast on Friday.
Hobart is expecting a day of rain on Sunday, with forecasts of up to 10mm and a high of 19 degrees Celsius.
WA
Perth promises a sunny Sunday, with a high of 24 degrees on Sunday.
The warm weather will continue over the next few days, but temperatures are unlikely to exceed 30 degrees until mid-week.
Extreme fire danger is forecast for the Mortlock district on Sunday.
NT
Darwin will sweat through temperatures in the mid-30s from Sunday until the end of next week. A heat wave warning applies to parts of the NT.
An extreme fire danger warning is in effect for the Barkly North district