Severe heatwave bakes eastern Australia

Huge swathes of the country will continue to swelter as a severe heatwave is set to continue across much of Australia until the middle of next week.

The Bureau of Meteorology has current heatwave warnings issued for all states and territories on the Australian mainland.

Temperatures between 5Cto 12C above average are expected over the weekend through most of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and NSW, as well as parts of the southern Northern Territory and southern Queensland.

Senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said Monday would be the hottest day for Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, with temperatures up to 16C above average:

Adelaide is forecast to reach 40C on Sunday, and Melbourne is forecast to reach the high 30s or even 40C on Monday. Were this to occur, it will be the warmest day in Melbourne since January 2023 and the warmest December day since 2019.

Other parts of Victoria and NSW could be in the low to mid 40s. Inland NSW could even reach the high 40s on Monday. Along with the heat, windy conditions and a lack of rain are likely to lead to a spike in fire danger during Sunday and Monday for much of the east and south east.

Australia news | The Guardian