Extreme fire danger warning as millions smashed by sweltering heatwave

Millions are in the firing line for extreme fire danger as a widespread and sweltering heatwave secures its hold across the country.

An oppressive heatwave is continuing its chokehold for millions as temperatures soar nationwide, sparking severe and extreme bushfire warnings.

Despite a chilly start to summer for Victorians, the mercury has spiked across the state, following a band of hot air passing from Western Australia in a 4000km wide stretch.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the hot, dry and windy conditions have created the perfect combination for an increased fire danger risk.

“We’ve got extreme fire dangers for eastern and southeastern South Australia and northwestern Victoria (on Thursday),” senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said.

A total fire ban is in place for the Mallee, Wimmera and Northern Country regions across Victoria, with temperatures forecast to reach 33C in the state’s west.

Potential thunderstorms are also expected to roll through the south western regions during the afternoon, with little rainfall to ease the bushfires.

An increased bushfire risk is spreading across western Victori.a Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

Sweltering temperatures are continuing in South Australia, sparking bushfire fears across the state’s southeast.

Extreme fire danger warnings have been issued for the Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Flinders, Mid North, Mount Lofty Ranges, Yorke Peninsula, Riverland, Murraylands and Upper South East regions.

The fire danger warning does not include Adelaide.

“There are the avoidable fires for which is always disappointing to see that ... due to people being careless, that results in our volunteers being called away from home and work and needing to spend many hours out on the fire ground,” South Australia Country Fire Service state controller Brenton Hastie said.

A heatwave is spreading acrfoss the entire country this week. Picture: Weatherzone.

Further west, the heatwave is continuing its hold on parts of Western Australia as a pool of hot air continues to spread over the central and southern regions, bringing suffocating heat for millions.

A heatwave warnng is in place for the Kimberley, Pilbara and North Interior as the mercury tips past 40C, with more hot weather on the way.

Locations likely to be impacted include Fitzroy Crossing and Kalumburu, the bureau website reads.

“The heat building over WA ... has now moved into southern and central parts of the country today, and then we’re going to see it moving in further into south-east part of the country,” Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore told NewsWire.

“Today the focus of the heat is through WA and western South Australia.”

The mercury is forecast to tip to 37C in Port Hedland in the northern Western Australia and 38C in Kalgoorlie in the state’s Goldfields-Esperance region on Wednesday.

It’s going to be a scorcher across the nation this week. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

In Victoria, the hot air mass finally broke the icy spell blanketing the state.

However, the heat won’t stick around for too long, as another cold front sweeps through later this week.

“The good news is this cold front ... has got a lot of cold air in it, so we’ll see our temperatures drop back down to the 20C mark on Saturday,” Mr Narramore said.

“Then early next week we’ll see those temperatures go back up into the mid-to-high twenties and low thirties inland.”

It was a hot start to summer for Western Australia. Picture: Weatherzone

A heatwave warning remains in place on the NSW south coast, with hot temperatures expected to develop over the coast this week, impacting theHunter, Metropolitan, Illawarra, Southern Tablelands and Snowy Mountains regions.

The bureau warned of heatwave conditions for residents in Newcastle, Batemans Bay, Gosford, Camden, Mona Vale, Nowra, Richmond and Wollongong.

Sydney is also in the firing line for the hot weather, which is forecast to stick around until Sunday when a cool change spreads across the state.

“(On Thursday), the heat will be through South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, where temperatures will be around 4C to 8C above average, getting up to around 10C above average in South Australia,” Mr Narramore said.

“A burst of summer weather (is) on the way.”

It will also be hot in Victoria for some of the week. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

The ever-changing conditions are normal for this time of year, Mr Narramore explained.

“Even though temperatures are 8C to 10C above average - particularly tomorrow, Friday and Saturday through parts of eastern and southeastern Australia - we do see this burst of heat pretty common for this time of year ahead of any cold fronts, as our heat from inland Australia gets drawn down to south-eastern and eastern Australia,” he said.

Originally published as Extreme fire danger warning as millions smashed by sweltering heatwave