Key Takeaways
- The first heatwave of the summer is expected to reach its peak across New South Wales, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius likely to span from Western Australia’s north-west to Parramatta.
- Severe heatwave warnings are in place for large areas of the country, including parts of the NSW coast, Sydney, and Wollongong.
- Extreme fire danger warnings have been issued for large parts of New South Wales, with total fire bans in place in nine areas, including Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, and the Illawarra/Shoalhaven.
- A cold front is expected to bring a cooler change by the end of the weekend, with milder conditions already arriving for WA and Victoria.
- The Bureau of Meteorology’s long-range outlook is favoring warmer-than-normal temperatures across almost the entire country, increasing the risk of heatwaves and bushfires this summer.
Introduction to the Heatwave
The first heatwave of the summer is expected to reach its peak across New South Wales, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius likely to span from Western Australia’s north-west to Parramatta. The heatwave has sparked an extreme fire danger warning for large parts of NSW, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning of the risk of dry lightning across parts of the state on Saturday. According to Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jonathan How, parts of the NSW coast could see temperatures up to 15C above average, with Sydney expected to reach 37C in the city and the low 40s in the west.
Heatwave Moves Across the Country
Severe heatwave warnings are in place for large areas of the country, including parts of the NSW coast from east of Cooma to Newcastle on Saturday, as well as Sydney and Wollongong. The highest temperatures are expected in WA’s Kimberley region, where extreme heatwave conditions are set to linger into next week. Fitzroy Crossing is forecast to reach 46C on Sunday and Monday, according to the BOM. Meanwhile, the BOM is warning of the risk of dry lightning across parts of the state on Saturday, with extreme fire danger forecast for large parts of New South Wales.
Extreme Fire Danger
There are warnings of extreme fire danger for large parts of New South Wales, with the BOM also warning of the risk of dry lightning across parts of the state on Saturday. Total fire bans are in place in nine areas, including in Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, and the Illawarra/Shoalhaven, across the weekend. Rural Fire Service spokesman Ben Shepherd said a bushfire near Bulahdelah on the Mid North Coast was expected to present a challenge, with winds expected to shift back to the north-west. On Friday, the blaze was burning at an emergency warning level and closed the M1 to traffic.
Cool Change and Storm Risk
Saturday will be the last of the hot weather for southern Australia for now, with a cold front forecast to bring showers to large parts of Victoria and Tasmania. Severe thunderstorms are also possible on Saturday for eastern parts of Victoria, and parts of the south-coast New South Wales up to the Illawarra region, according to Mr. How. By Sunday, NSW will be in for a cooler change, with a cool front expected to push across Sydney Sunday morning, bringing cool temperatures and relief to the Central Coast and northern inland parts of New South Wales.
Hot Summer Fuels Bushfire Risk
This week’s heat is likely to mark the start of a hot summer ahead for Australia, with the BOM’s long-range outlook for December to February favoring warmer-than-normal temperatures across almost the entire country, during the day and the night. The chance of above-average maximum temperatures for the summer months across the country is high, with large parts of northern Australia also very likely to see unusually warm nights during the season. BOM senior climatologist Simon Grainger said this was likely to increase the risk of heatwaves this summer, which can be often very warm at night.
Fire Warning Ahead of Hot Summer
An increased risk of bushfire is expected for parts of the country this summer, with most areas expecting hotter than normal temperatures. The forecast, combined with long-term dryness across some parts of the landscape, has prompted fire and emergency services to warn some parts of the country could transition into a "highly flammable" state in the season ahead. In its seasonal bushfire outlook, the National Council for Fire and Emergency Service (AFAC) identified increased risk of fires across parts of southern WA and NSW, with large parts of Victoria also highlighted as having an increased fire risk later in the season, following long-term rainfall deficiencies in the region.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/STRANGER-THINGS-Finn-Wolfhard-Caleb-McLaughlin-Natalia-Dyer-Joe-Keery-Charlie-Heaton-Gaten-Matarazzo-071525-dde8f6ac3f164f1f996ff48da404cec4.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "Finn Wolfhard to Host SNL in 2026")
