‘Half the country’ to cop stifling heatwave over the weekend

A blistering heatwave will blast half the nation over the weekend and into next week, with one state anticipating its hottest December day in four years.

Victoria is set for one of its hottest days in four years, with temperatures expected to tip past 45C next week as half the country braces for another blistering heatwave and the other half battles lashings of rain and thunderstorms.

Sky News meteorologist Aisone Osborne said from the start of next week “up to half of the country” would be subject to a low-intensity heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 45C in parts of Victoria and South Australia and 48C in inland NSW.

Part of this heat surge is due to strong winds, fuelling “very hot weather” for South Australia, Victoria, and NSW.

“It’s looking hot, dry and very windy through Victoria, southern parts of NSW and into South Australia,” Ms Osborne said.

It’s going to be scorching hot for residents in Victoria on Monday. Picture: Weather Zone

The stiflingly warm weather impacting the southern region of Western Australia is the state’s hottest so far, with Perth enduring 35C temperatures on Thursday and 40C on Wednesday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has continued its severe-to-low-intensity heatwave warning for the southern parts of the state, with low intensity heatwave conditions in the Kimberley region and far southwestern WA.

“In addition to the storms, high fire dangers are forecast for Friday across much of WA’s south, with extreme fire danger and a fire weather warning in place for the Avon fire weather district,” senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.

The stifling heat is expected to make a move to the southeastern region of Australia over the weekend, building and peaking in South Australia on Sunday before moving to Victoria on Monday.

“This weekend, we’ll see temperatures reaching 5C to 12C above average across most of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and NSW,” Ms Bradbury said.

Monday will be particularly hot for residents in South Australia, Victoria and southern NSW Picture: Bureau of Meteorology

The heatwave will cover much of Australia. Picture: Bureau of Meteorology

These warm conditions are also anticipated to impact southern parts of the Northern Territory and southern Queensland.

On Sunday, temperatures in South Australia may reach up to 40C.

Similar conditions are expected to hit Melbourne and Victoria the following day, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C in the city and 45C in regional areas.

“Were this to occur, it would be the hottest day in Melbourne since January 2023 and the warmest December day since 2019,” Ms Bradbury said.

The bureau issued a warning for residents in inland NSW, as temperatures may reach into the high 40s on Monday.

With a lack of rain, windy conditions and a spike in heat, it has created the perfect recipe for fires, with a high fire danger warning issued for Sunday and Monday for much of the east and southeast.

While residents in the southern regions of the country swelter in the heat, it’s a different story in northern and northeast Queensland and Western Australia, which were battered by thunderstorms and huge rainfall overnight.

The southern parts of Cape York Peninsula were hit hard by storms on Thursday that later spread further down the coast towards Rockhampton.

Between Cairns and Townsville, heavy bouts of rainfall were recorded in a very short time, with Black River recording 182mm in 24 hours, Kungala 151mm and Pallarenda 142mm, of which 82mm of rainfall was recorded in half an hour.

Storms also battered the northern region of Western Australia overnight, with the heaviest rainfall targeting the Pilbara, Gascoyne and Mid-West districts.

It was a wet and stormy night for northern Queensland and WA. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

In Brisbane on Friday, residents can expect a partly cloudy day with a slight chance of a shower, most likely in the late morning, and a maximum temperature of 31C.

It will be a sunny and warm day for Sydney, with clouds developing later in the afternoon and a top of 30C. There is a chance of thunderstorms developing in the far west in the afternoon and evening.

Melbourne will be partly cloudy with a slight chance of a shower in the Dandenongs in the morning and a top of 23C.

Adelaide residents are in for a partly cloudy morning, clearing to a sunny day in the afternoon and a top of 29C.

It will be a mostly sunny day in Perth, with light winds and a maximum temperature of 31C.

Hobart will have a partly cloudy day, with a slight chance of a shower in the morning and a top of 19C.

People in Canberra can anticipate a mostly sunny day with 30km/h winds and a maximum temperature of 32C.

It’s cloudy in Darwin, with a high chance of showers and a thunderstorm in the morning and a top of 33C.

Originally published as ‘Half the country’ to cop stifling heatwave over the weekend