A three-day heatwave across south-east Australia is expected to push Victoria’s energy supplies to the limit with the Woodside Energy chief executive Meg O’Neill urging the state Labor government to fast-track a pipeline of new gas projects to help meet predicted shortfalls.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecast a severe heatwave across most of Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia from Sunday, as well as parts of New South Wales and Western Australia. Temperatures across affected states are expected to sit between the high 30s and the low 40s.