A sizzling heatwave will sweep across most of the country with some parts blistering as temperatures soar above 40C.
A strong high pressure system off Australia’s southern coast will hit Perth on Thursday with the mercury rising between 10C and 13C above average and peaking at 33C.
Weatherzone meteorologist Sam Umhoeser told Daily Mail Australia that the warm weather will move east with South Australia and the south coast to experience temperatures 10C above normal over the weekend.
“On Friday we are moving along the south coast and on Friday afternoon we are off the coast of Victoria and starting to approach Tasmania,” he said.
‘It will then move inland towards QLD and north-west New South Wales. The range will be around 6°C – 9°C above average there, but not extreme.”
Umhoeser said the cause of the heat wave is the combination of a “very strong” high pressure system, which sucks moisture out of the air, and clear skies, which allow “the sun to burn the entire region.”
“New South Wales could briefly see these above-average temperatures across the western half of the state,” he said.
‘It looks like we could briefly see some temperatures 10°C to 11°C above average around Sunday afternoon, during the peak hours of the day.
A strong high pressure system off the southern coast of Australia will cause a heat wave, starting in Perth before moving east (pictured, a map of Australia showing the movement of the heat wave in red)
‘Once it cools overnight we will drop back down to 5°C – 6°C above average. The trend that most of the country is seeing at the moment.”
The northern half of the country will also melt, with parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory exceeding 40C.
“Most of the northern half of the country is going to experience significant temperatures,” Mr Umhoeser said.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, extreme fire danger warnings are likely to be issued for southwestern parts of Western Australia and parts of southern Australia.
The hottest day in eastern Australia, Sunday, will likely be declared a high fire risk, depending on the wind.
But the heatwave won’t last beyond the weekend, as a cold front is expected to arrive and bring colder temperatures to hit Australia on Monday.
“It will move north and allow us to cool off a little bit,” Mr Umhoeser said.
He said the early heatwave doesn’t necessarily mean Australians are in for an extreme summer.
“It doesn’t look like this initial heat wave is going to be indicative of a truly above-normal summer,” Mr Umhoeser said.
“Right now, summer is slightly above average, but not too much.”
brisbane
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers, more likely in the afternoon and evening. Chance of a storm in the afternoon and evening, possibly severe. Winds up to 30 km/h. Maximum 31.
Friday: Partly cloudy. High probability of rain, more likely in the late morning and afternoon. The possibility of a storm. Northwest winds up to 25 km/h. Minimum 18 Maximum 30m.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers, more likely in the morning and afternoon. The possibility of a storm. Light winds from the east to southeast at 15 to 25 km/h during the morning. Min 19 Max 27.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers in the morning and afternoon. Winds will be light northeasterly up to 25 km/h during the day and then tend north at 15 to 20 km/h overnight. Minimum 20 Maximum 29.
Sydney
Thursday: Partly cloudy. High probability of rain, more likely in the afternoon and evening. Chance of a storm in the afternoon and evening. From south to southeast 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day. Maximum 25.
Friday: Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers. Winds from the south at 15 to 20 km/h, becoming light early in the morning and then from the southeast at 15 to 25 km/h in the early afternoon. Minimum 16 Maximum 23.
Saturday: Cloudy. Average chance of showers in the morning and afternoon. Winds from the southeast at 15 to 20 km/h changing from north to northeast at 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon. Minimum 15 Maximum 22.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Winds will be light from the north at 15 to 25 km/h during the morning and then become light overnight. Minimum 16 Maximum 30.
Sydney’s hottest day will be Sunday, with the western half of New South Wales set to see high temperatures (pictured, beachgoers at Bondi Beach)
Melbourne
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Average chance of rain, decreasing in the afternoon and evening. Winds from the west to southwest at 15 to 20 km/h trending south to southwest at 20 to 30 km/h in the late morning and early afternoon. Maximum 19.
Friday: Cloudy. Little chance of showers. Winds from the south to southwest at 15 to 20 km/h increasing to 25 km/h before trending south to southeast up to 20 km/h during the day. Minimum 10 Maximum 17.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Chance of morning frost on nearby hills. Light winds from the north of 20 to 30 km/h during the morning. Minimum 8 Maximum 26.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers, more likely in the morning and afternoon. Northerly winds will increase to 30 to 45 km/h during the morning and then shift from the south to southwest at 20 to 30 km/h during the afternoon. Min 19 Max 27.
Perth
Thursday: Sunny. East winds of up to 30 km/h, which will change from south to southwest from 15 to 25 km/h in the early afternoon. Gusts of up to 60 km/h in the hills in the morning. Maximum 33.
Friday: Mostly sunny. Light winds that will blow from the west to southwest between 20 and 30 km/h in the morning. Minimum 15 Maximum 27.
Saturday: Cloudy. Average chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Winds from the west to southwest at 20 to 30 km/h with a south to southwest trend of 15 to 20 km/h during the day. Minimum 16 Maximum 21.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers in the morning. Light southwest winds at 15 to 25 km/h during the day and then light at night. Min 11 Max 22.
Adelaide
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Winds from the south at 20 to 30 km/h. Maximum 25.
Friday: Mostly sunny. Winds from the southeast at 15 to 25 km/h and from the east at 15 to 20 km/h in the late afternoon. Minimum 10 Maximum 24.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. A slight chance of showers in the southern suburbs overnight. Almost no chance of rain in other places. Winds from the north at 25 to 35 km/h during the morning. Minimum 12 Maximum 34.
Sunday: Average chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Sunny afternoon. Winds from the west to northwest up to 30 km/h turning from south to southwest at 15 to 25 km/h during the day. Minimum 16 Maximum 23.
Adelaide’s hottest day will be Saturday with a predicted high temperature of 34C.
hobart
Thursday: Cloudy. Average chance of rain, decreasing in the afternoon. Winds from the southwest at 20 to 30 km/h, trending west at 15 to 25 km/h in the afternoon. Maximum 15.
Friday: Cloudy. Average chance of showers, more likely in the morning and afternoon. Winds from the northwest at 15 to 25 km/h, turning southwest at 20 to 30 km/h in the morning and then becoming westerly and light in the late afternoon. Minimum 8 Maximum 15.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Light winds from the north of 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon. Min 6 Max 22.
Probeand: Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Winds from the north to northwest at 25 to 40 km/h turning west during the day. Minimum 13 Maximum 21.
Darwin
Thursday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers and chance of thunderstorms, most likely early this morning and again this afternoon. Light winds. Maximum 33.
Friday: Partly cloudy. High chance of rain, probably early in the morning. Chance of storm. Light winds that will blow from the north to the northeast at 15 to 20 km/h for the middle of the day. Minimum 25 Maximum 33.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Average chance of rain, more likely at night. Chance of storm. Light winds from the north to northeast at 15 to 20 km/h during the day. Minimum 25 Maximum 34.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers. The probability of a storm over the Cox Peninsula. Light northeasterly winds of 15 to 20 km/h during the day. Minimum 26 Maximum 35.
Canberra
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers, more likely in the afternoon. Northwest winds at 15 to 20 km/h tending west at 20 to 30 km/h in the middle of the day. Maximum 25.
Friday: Partly cloudy. Little chance of showers. Light winds will become northwesterly at 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon and then change to the east at 15 to 25 km/h in the evening. Min 7 Max 23.
Saturday: Cloud clearing. East winds of 15 to 20 km/h turning north during the morning and becoming light during the afternoon. Minimum 6 Maximum 25.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Winds will be light from the northwest at 30 to 45 km/h during the morning and then become light overnight. Min 8 Max 31.