Scorching conditions lie ahead for Australia over the week, with the mercury in some regions tipped to climb into the high 40s.
Wild weather can be expected in the days ahead, alongside elevated fire danger as scorching temperatures and likely thunderstorms plague Australia.
Multiple heatwave warnings are in place for parts of Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland until Friday as the mercury climbs upward of 45C in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
New South Wales has been warned things will be “hot and stormy” as residents deal with summer temperatures and a low pressure system moving through the state’s east according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Christie Johnson.
“We are seeing a low pressure trough moving very slowly up the coast, that’s going to trigger thunderstorms across much of northern and eastern New South Wales through [Wednesday],” she said.
“We could see thunderstorms becoming severe across parts of the east coast, including areas around the Sydney metro, the Illawarra and the Hunter.
“Damaging winds, large hail and possibly even heavy rainfall are possible with those storms.”
Johnson said the metro area even had pockets of “extreme” fire danger.
Temperatures in Sydney climbed to 30C on Tuesday and up to 39C in Penrith.
“We’re not expecting to see the widespread extreme fire danger that we saw at the weekend,” Johnson said in the bureau’s update.
“The winds are not as strong as they were on Saturday, but we are still looking at high fire danger through much of the state.”
The trough could linger over parts of New South Wales until Thursday, meaning the threat of damaging wind gusts and large hail will remain with residents until the end of the week.
The first week of summer has brought a 50C temperature range across the country, while Tuesday’s heat in New South Wales saw temperatures hit 4-10C above the December average.
Extreme heatwave temperatures are also on the way for South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland and inland New South Wales.
Thursday will bring the highest temperatures for those states, where temperatures could reach the low-to-mid-40s.
The hardest hit areas will be the Pastoral regions in South Australia’s northwest and Western Australia’s Southern Interior.
On Tuesday evening, multiple fire alerts remained in place across New South Wales – including a warning for the village of Bogee, north of Lithgow.
“Firefighters remain on scene, undertaking property protection where required,” a warning from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service said.
“If you are between Marsden Rd and Capertree River on Home Hills Rd and Marsden Rd, follow the advice of emergency services personnel on scene.
“The fire is burning quickly and may impact on properties between Marsden Rd and Capertree River on Home Hills Rd and Marsden Rd.”
Last weekend, fires ripped through at least 20 homes.
Firefighters were called to battle an enormous blaze which burned through the Koolewong, Phegans Bay and Woy Woy Bay areas, destroying more than 129ha of land.
One veteran firefighter – since identified as John Lohan – died on a property at Nerong after being crushed by a tree at about 10.45pm on Sunday.
Temperatures are forecast to drop to below 25C over Wednesday and Thursday.
But Sky News meteorologist Tamsin Green said some conditions for the country’s interior were set to get more severe.
“We can see the real focus really is across the interior by the end of the week,” she said, pointing to a forecast model which indicated temperatures in excess of 45 degrees were likely for some central areas on Friday,” Green said.
“So that focus really is across the centre, also portions of the west as well, rather than the east towards the end of the week.”
Heatwave warnings remain in place for multiple states over Wednesday, continuing into Friday.
In Western Australia, a severe heatwave warning is in place for the Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne, North Interior and South Interior forecast districts.
“Maximum temperatures ranging from the high thirties to the mid forties and overnight minimum temperatures in the mid to high twenties,” the bureau’s warning stated. “Severe heatwave conditions are expected to contract slowly southwards and ease over the next few days. Locations likely to be impacted include Fitzroy Crossing, Karratha, Newman, Paraburdoo and Warburton.”
Maximum temperatures are forecast to peak at 46C in the iron ore mining town of Pannawonica on Wednesday.
A similar warning exists for the Gulf Country in Queensland – with forecasts of maximum temperatures in the high thirties to low forties, with overnight minimum temperatures in the mid to high twenties.
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