Millions of Australians are bracing for a hot and stormy weekend with heatwave warnings in Queensland, New South Wales, WA and the Top End.
Temperatures are forecast to reach 40C across much of eastern Australia on Friday with the mercury expected to rise to 30C in Brisbane and Sydney.
Parts of inland Queensland, from the Gulf Country to northern New South Wales, have been told to expect severe heatwave conditions over the weekend.
Areas in Queensland’s central and Gulf regions are forecast to be hardest hit as residents in Mount Isa sweat through a scorching 43C temperature.
Weatherzone meteorologist Quincy Tut told Daily Mail Australia the extreme heatwave conditions would not ease until next week.
“Heatwave conditions are pretty much spreading across Queensland at the moment from the northwest to the southeast,” he said.
Further south, Longreach is forecast to reach 44C on Saturday, while Grafton in the northern rivers of New South Wales could reach temperatures of 31C.
A warning is also in place for severe heatwave conditions over the weekend in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, from Kimberley to Darwin.
Temperatures are forecast to reach 40C across much of eastern Australia on Friday.
Heatwave warnings in place for Queensland, New South Wales, WA and Top End
New South Wales will get a welcome respite from this week’s scorching heatwaves.
“The intense intensity of heat waves has decreased in northeastern New South Wales, but we will still see some low-intensity heat waves,” Tut said.
Storms are forecast over the weekend and next week in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales, with Byron Bay set to receive up to 25mm of rain on Monday.
State capitals in the south-east are forecast to swelter over a balmy weekend, with Sydney forecast to hit 30C, 5C warmer than this time last year.
Harbor City is forecast to hit a high of 26C over the weekend amid forecasts of possible rain, while Brisbane could receive up to 5mm of rain on Saturday.
Possible storms are forecast for Brisbane over the next few days, while the mercury is expected to hit 32C on Saturday.
Melbourne is forecast to reach just 21C over the weekend, while Adelaide is expected to remain cloudy with temperatures as high as 26C.
Canberra is forecast to have a high of 27C over the weekend, Perth 26C after Friday’s storms, Hobart 19C and sunny, and Darwin a steady 35C.
Harbor City is forecast to hit a high of 26C over the weekend amid forecasts of possible rain, while Brisbane could receive up to 5mm of rain on Saturday (pictured, Bondi Beach).
brisbane
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Minimum 22 Maximum 32
Sunday: shower or two. Minimum 23 Maximum 30
Monday: shower or two. Minimum 22 Maximum 28
Sydney
Saturday: Possible shower. Min 17 Max23
Sunday: Possible rain. Minimum 18 Maximum 26
Monday: Possible shower. Minimum 17 Maximum 23
Canberra
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Minimum 7 Maximum 25
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Minimum 9 Maximum 27
Monday: Partly cloudy. Minimum 8 Maximum 26
State capitals in the south-east are forecast to swelter over a balmy weekend, with Sydney (pictured) forecast to hit 30C, 5C warmer than this time last year.
Melbourne
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Minimum 10 Maximum 21
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Minimum 11 Maximum 21
Monday: Mostly sunny. Minimum 10 Maximum 23
hobart
Saturday: Cloudy. Minimum 9 Maximum 18
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Min 10 Max19
Monday: Partly cloudy. Min7 Max 21
Adelaide
Saturday: Cloudy. Min 9 Max23
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Minimum 11 Maximum 26
Monday: Possible shower Min 14 Max 28
Perth
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Minimum 13 Maximum 25
Sunday: Sunny. Minimum 13 Maximum 26
Monday: sunny. Minimum 13 Maximum 27
Darwin
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Min 27 Max 35
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Minimum 26 Maximum 35
Monday: Mostly sunny. Minimum 26 Maximum 35