Southeast Australia starts to feel effects of five-day heatwave

A HEATWAVE with the potential to devastate crop yields has begun sweeping across southeast Australia.

Smoke from wildfires obscures the view of the sun, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in Mountain Ranch, Calif. Firefighters gained some ground Saturday against the explosive wildfire that incinerated buildings and chased hundreds of people from mountain communities in drought-stricken Northern California. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

A HEATWAVE with the potential to devastate crop yields has begun sweeping across southeast Australia.

Five days of scorching temperatures nudging 40C are forecast across northwest Victoria and southern NSW with farmers concerned it could destroy crops, or greatly reduce their potential, just weeks away from harvest.

Parts of the Mallee are forecast to receive the warmest temperatures, which follow a particularly dry start to spring in line with strong El Nino pattern in the Pacific Ocean, with Mildura and Ouyen both going for tops of 39C on Monday — more than 12C above average for this time of year.

READ MORE:Cruel blow for crops

Mildura is looking at a maximum of 31C today with temperatures tipped to average more than 36C over the next five days. It will be its longest warm spell since February when it recorded 19 consecutive days above 30C.

At 2pm, the mercury had hit 30.2C at Mildura, 30.3C at Walpeup, 29.4C at Swan Hill, 29.7C at Hopetoun, and 28.8C at Charlton.

The Wimmera is also feeling the heat, with Nhill hitting 28.6C at 2pm followed by Longerenong and Horsham (28.3C), Nhill (28.6C), and Edenhope (26.6C).

In the NSW Riverina, the mercury topped 28.7C in Hay and 28.1C in Deniliquin at 2pm.

Edenhope farmer and West Wimmera Shire councillor Richard Waite today said farmers were becoming more anxious with the temperatures beginning to rise.

“The most disappointing thing is the fact we were only one good rain off a cracking season,” Cr Waite said. “The rain we can’t seem to get is holding us back.”