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Australians have been told to prepare for catastrophic fire dangers and what could be the hottest Boxing Day test on record this Christmas amid scorching temperatures gripping the country.
South Australia and Victoria will be hardest hit by a looming heatwave that is likely to peak on Boxing Day, just in time for the first day of cricket in Melbourne.
Sweltering hot conditions are expected over Christmas across the country, while thunderstorms are possible in parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Melbourne is expected to reach a high of 40C on Thursday, while Adelaide will see temperatures rise to 37C and 36C over Christmas and Boxing Day.
Sydneysiders can expect a warm and dry Christmas and Boxing Day, but temperatures are expected to rise to a sweaty 38C on Friday.
Southern areas of the country, such as Victoria, will be hit by dry and windy conditions, and locals will be on alert for bushfires.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Christie Johnson told Daily Mail Australia the heat will move east from Western Australia on Monday, with Perth set to record highs of 41C for the start of the festive period.
“Christmas Day will be the hottest in South Australia, and Boxing Day will be the hottest in Victoria and Tasmania,” he said.
South Australia and Victoria will be hardest hit by a looming heatwave that is likely to peak on Boxing Day, just in time for the first day of cricket in Melbourne.
Sweltering hot conditions are expected over Christmas across the country, while thunderstorms are possible in parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Johnson warned that fire dangers in Victoria could spread to New South Wales on Friday.
“In Victoria, we are forecasting a catastrophic fire danger in the Gariwerd district, which covers the Grampians, where the ongoing large fire is located, and also an extreme fire danger in all other western and central districts of the state,” said.
“Therefore, there will be very significant fire risk days.”
Rain is expected later on Thursday night in Melbourne.
“At the moment our forecast for Melbourne for Boxing Day is 40C, which could potentially be the hottest first day of Boxing Day testing on record,” Ms Johnson said.
“The good news is that most models suggest that rain should stay away until after the end of the cricket game, so it is more likely that it will be evening or overnight showers behind that change.”
However, fire danger in the state is serious after an out-of-control bushfire in Victoria’s Grampians National Park. It tripled in size in just 24 hours over the weekend.
The fire has destroyed 34,000 hectares and continues to grow despite more than 300 firefighters battling to bring it under control ahead of the extreme conditions on Boxing Day.
Emergency warnings are in place for those in and around the tourist hotspot of Halls Gap to leave immediately.
Elsewhere in the country, a high pressure system is moving towards southeastern Australia, which will mean fairly stable conditions for much of the country.
An out-of-control fire in Victoria’s Grampians National Park tripled in size over the weekend and firefighters are desperately trying to get it under control before Boxing Day.
Rain will ease across Tasmania as the weather system approaches, but Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula is likely to continue to rain throughout the week.
Thunderstorms are also likely in the Upper End, while the south of the Northern Territory, as well as southern Queensland and New South Wales, will experience thunderstorms. dry and settled at the beginning of the week.
brisbane
Monday
Sunny morning. Chance of a storm in the west this afternoon and evening. Light winds that will arrive from the north to the northeast at 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon and then become light at the end of the night.
Maximum 32C
Tuesday
Sunny. Winds will be light from the southeast at 20 to 30 km/h in the middle of the day and then become light in the late afternoon.
Minimum 22°C Maximum 32°C.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny. Southerly winds of 15 to 25 km/h turning from the east to southeast during the morning and becoming light during the afternoon.
Minimum 20°C Maximum 30°C
Thursday
Mostly sunny. Light winds that become east to northeast at 15 to 20 km/h during the day and then become light at night.
Min. 19°C Max. 30°C
Extreme heat will grip the country’s eastern and southern coasts as a high-pressure weather system makes its way from Western Australia.
Sydney
Monday
Mostly sunny. Little chance of showers on the coastal strip in the early afternoon. Almost no chance of rain in other places. Winds from the west to southwest at 25 to 35 km/h, shifting south at 30 to 40 km/h in the early afternoon before trending south to southeast at 15 to 20 km/h in the late afternoon. Winds that will reach 50 km/h on the coastal strip, changing to a southern component during the afternoon.
Maximum 29C
Tuesday
Sunny. Light winds becoming southwest at 15 to 20 km/h early in the morning and then trending southeast to southwest at 15 to 25 km/h in the morning.
Min. 16°C Max. 24°C
Wednesday
Sunny. Light easterly winds at 15 to 25 km/h during the day and then light at night.
Minimum 17°C Maximum 26°C
Thursday
Sunny. Light northeasterly winds of 20 to 30 km/h during the day.
Min. 18°C Max. 28°C
Canberra
Monday
Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers in the morning and early afternoon. Winds from the west at 25 to 35 km/h.
Maximum 23C
Tuesday
Sunny. Light winds.
Min. 6°C Max. 27°C
Wednesday
Sunny. Light winds that will arrive from the northwest to the northeast at 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon and then tend from the northeast to the southeast during the night.
Min. 8°C Max. 31°C
Thursday
Sunny. Light winds that will blow from the north to northwest at 15 to 25 km/h during the day.
Min. 11°C Max. 35°C
More than 300 firefighters are actively battling the blaze in the Grampians in a bid to contain it before extreme fire danger warnings are issued later this week.
Melbourne
Monday
Cloudy. High chance of showers in the Dandenongs, medium chance elsewhere. Southwest winds at 30 to 45 km/h.
Maximum 18C
Tuesday
Cloudy. Average chance of showers in the morning and early afternoon. Southwest winds at 15 to 25 km/h turning south in the early afternoon.
Min. 13°C Max. 22°C
Wednesday
Mostly sunny. Possibility of morning fog over the nearby hills. Light winds that become southeasterly at 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon and become light at night.
Minimum 14°C Maximum 30°C
Thursday
Sunny day. Slight chance of showers at night. North to northeast winds at 20 to 30 km/h increasing to 45 km/h before shifting to the west at 15 to 25 km/h overnight.
Min. 21°C Max. 40°C
hobart
Monday
Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, becoming less likely tonight. Winds from the southwest at 15 to 25 km/h and from the west at 15 to 20 km/h in the late afternoon.
Maximum 17C
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. Little chance of rain. Winds from the west to southwest at 15 to 25 km/h and will become light in the late afternoon.
Min. 11°C Max. 21°C
Wednesday
Partly cloudy. Little chance of rain. Light winds becoming west to southwest at 15 to 20 km/h during the day and then changing to the southeast at night.
Min. 12°C Max. 23°C
Thursday
Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers, probably at night. Light winds that will reach the northeast at 15 to 25 km/h during the day and then trend north during the afternoon.
Minimum 14°C Maximum 30°C
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Christie Johnson warned Australians to remain alert for any weather warnings that could affect them during Christmas week.
Adelaide
Monday
Partly cloudy. Winds from the south to southwest at 20 to 30 km/h will become light in the late afternoon.
Maximum 23C
Tuesday
Cloud clearing. Light winds that will reach the southwest between 15 and 20 km/h in the middle of the day and will change from east to southeast at night.
Min. 12°C Max. 29°C
Wednesday
Sunny. Winds from the east to northeast at 15 to 25 km/h, trending west to northwest at 15 to 20 km/h during the day and trending east at night.
Minimum 18°C Maximum 37°C
Thursday
Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers in the afternoon and evening. Northeast winds at 15 to 25 km/h, changing to the west at 30 to 45 km/h during the day.
Minimum 25°C Maximum 36°C
Perth
Monday
Sunny. Chance of a thunderstorm with little or no rain over the hills in the afternoon and early evening. Northeast winds at 25 to 35 km/h, changing to southwest at 20 to 30 km/h in the middle of the day. Gusts of up to 60 km/h in the hills and foothills in the morning.
Maximum 41C
Tuesday
Sunny. Winds from the south to southwest at 25 to 40 km/h.
Min. 20°C Max. 31°C
Wednesday
Mostly sunny. Winds from the south to southwest at 30 to 45 km/h.
Minimum 15°C Maximum 24°C
Thursday
Sunny. Winds from the south at 25 to 40 km/h.
Minimum 12°C Maximum 25°C
Darwin
Monday
Partly cloudy. High chance of rain, most likely starting this morning. The possibility of a storm. Light winds.
Maximum 33C
Tuesday
Partly cloudy. High probability of rain, more likely in the afternoon and evening. The possibility of a storm. Light winds.
Minimum 25°C Maximum 33°C
Wednesday
Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers, more likely in the afternoon. The possibility of a storm. Light winds.
Min. 26°C Max. 34°C
Thursday
Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers, more likely in the afternoon. The possibility of a storm. Light winds.
Minimum 26°C Maximum 34°C