Victoria and South Australia are set to swelter from today as a heatwave brings soaring temperatures and dangerous fire conditions.
The mercury will soar to 34 degrees in Melbourne in the coming hours before spiking at 36 degrees tomorrow, then cooling to a far pleasanter 23 degrees on Sunday.
Adelaide residents can expect a scorching maximum temperature of 36 degrees today.
Conditions will then cool tomorrow to 29 degrees and 25 degrees on Sunday.
Today, there are high fire danger warnings for western and central parts of Victoria, while East Gippsland has severe heatwave conditions.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts overnight minimum temperatures will peak about 20 degrees for some areas tonight into tomorrow morning.
“Severe heatwave conditions easing from Sunday following a cool change from the west over the weekend and into early next week,” it said.
The South Australian Country Fire Service today declared a total fire ban for the state’s West Coast, Eastern Eyre Peninsula and Lower Eyre Peninsula, where conditions are rated as extreme.
The bureau says the state can expect hot and dry gusty north-to-north-westerly winds ahead of a cooler, west-to-south-westerly change from the west from this afternoon.
“Showers and isolated thunderstorms developing from the west. A severe thunderstorm warning is possible in the far west in the afternoon and evening.”
Meanwhile, South Australian residents can receive more warnings and emergency information through the state government’s updated Alert SA app.
Previously dedicated to bushfires, it now includes warnings for severe weather, heatwaves, urban fires, floods and hazardous materials.
