The ‘unseasonal’ heatwave continues to rage up the east coast as temperatures soar to 40C and dozens of fires blaze in NSW, but a nice, cool change is set to sweep through some parts of the country.
- Several areas are forecast to hit 40C or higher on Sunday
- Dozens of fires continue to burn in New South Wales
Temperatures are expected to rise to 40C in New South Wales as an ‘unseasonal’ heatwave peaks and dozens of fires continue to burn across the state.
Canberra, Brisbane and Perth will also have a scorching day, although temperatures in Victoria and South Australia should start to cool down on Sunday.
Sydney’s CBD will hit 32 degrees, but in the west, Penrith is forecast to hit 40 degrees Celsius and Richmond and Blacktown should hit 39 degrees Celsius, the Met Office has forecast.
The ‘unseasonal’ heatwave in NSW will peak on Sunday. Two women at Bronte Beach on March 16, 2023 in Sydney
Sydney’s CBD will hit 32 degrees, but in the west, Penrith is forecast to hit 40 degrees Celsius and Richmond and Blacktown should hit 39 degrees Celsius, the Met Office has forecast. Two women on the beach of Bronte
Temperatures in western parts of the state, including Forbes, Griffith, Ivanhoe and Cobar, are forecast to rise to even more than 40C.
It comes after NSW put out a damp Saturday, leaving more than 30 bush and grass fires across the state on Sunday morning.
A fire was being brought under control on Craigs Road in Curraweela in the southern tablelands but had burned 3,689 hectares, destroying property and livestock.
Another large fire was out of control at Yarra Station near Mount Hope in the west of the state, and the fire rating remains high across much of the state.
Elsewhere in the country, temperatures in Canberra are forecast to hit 36°C on Sunday, while Perth is expected to hit 33°C and Brisbane 32°C.
However, Victoria will get a breather with cooler weather, after temperatures hit the 30s and 40s on Saturday.
Residents along Great Ocean Road in the southwest of the state were on high alert for much of the day, with a watch and action message posted for a fire near the Kennett River, though the warning was lowered in the afternoon.
Several other fires reached the warning level before a cold shift swept through the state Saturday night.
Victorian temperatures should be in the mid-20s for the next week.
On Sunday, Melbourne is expected to top out at 21C and Adelaide at 27C.
Queensland will be in for a hot day, with parts of the state reaching 34C.
The weekend heat wave was caused by a hot air mass moving across the east coast of Australia this weekend, creating hot, weeping and windy conditions.
Full fire bans have been lifted in Victoria and South Australia.
Dozens of fires continue to burn across NSW, including in the Curraweela area (pictured)
