A spell of warm weather is forecast for northern and central Australia, with pleasant conditions spreading further south towards the end of the week.
A slow-moving high pressure system is currently in the centre of the country, causing temperatures to rise.
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Rohan Smyth told Daily Mail Australia that the week will continue to warm up and there is a chance the August record could be broken.
“The high point seems to be the second half of the weekend, Sunday,” he said.
“Especially for the east and southeast of the country, where temperatures in central Australia are really dropping.”
The heat will be felt in northern parts of South Australia, regional Victoria, western New South Wales, south-west Queensland and the southern part of the Northern Territory.
“Inland central Australia will experience temperatures 10 to 12 degrees above average for this time of year,” Smyth said.
While the heat will slowly move towards the east coast, there will be a cold front moving towards the southeast of the country and could affect parts of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania on Wednesday.
Temperatures across much of the country have been rising as central Australia’s heat spreads (image shows weather forecast for Wednesday)
“We have a trough moving through, but it’s quite weak. We may see some showers on the south-east coast on Tuesday and through tomorrow as well,” Smyth said.
Australian temperatures along the east coast look set for a mild weekend, with Sydney forecast to peak at 25°C, Melbourne at 22°C, Brisbane at 27°C, Canberra at 21°C and Hobart at 19°C.
But closer to central New South Wales, temperatures will be even higher, with Darwin expecting 35°C and Coober Pedy in northern South Australia 34°C.
The only place not expected to experience the heatwave is southern Western Australia, where Perth is expected to see cooler weather and some rain this week, with temperatures peaking at 21°C.
Sydney
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Medium chance of showers at night, gradually decreasing to low chance along the coastal strip. Light winds becoming north to northeast winds at 15 to 25 km/h at noon. Max. 22.
Wednesday: Chance of light rain early in the morning. Mostly sunny. Winds from the north at 15 to 20 km/h, becoming northwesterly in the morning and then light in the afternoon. Min. 14 Max. 25.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Chance of light rain. Light winds. Min. 13 Max. 22.
High temperatures are expected to peak on Sunday, with northern, central and eastern Australia most affected (illustrated weather map for August 24)
Brisbane
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, decreasing in the afternoon and evening. Light winds. Max. 23.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Chance of fog in the morning, mainly in the west. Chance of light rain in the morning. Light winds becoming north to northeast at 15 to 20 km/h by midday then becoming light in the evening. Min. 14 Max. 25.
Thursday: Chance of morning fog. Mostly sunny. Light winds blowing from the north to northeast between 15 and 25 km/h during the day, then becoming light in the afternoon. Min. 15 Max. 27.
Melbourne
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers starting this morning in the west, spreading eastward during the day and becoming a high chance tonight. North winds at 25 to 40 km/h. Max. 19.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of rain. Northwest winds at 15 to 25 km/h. Low 12 High 19.
Thursday: Cloudy. High probability of rain, more likely in the morning and afternoon. Northwest winds at 15 to 25 km/h. Minimum 11 Maximum 17.
Anyone fancy a dip? Temperatures could rise enough over the weekend to break the record for the highest temperature ever recorded in August (pictured: people on the beach)
Adelaide
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Northwest winds at 25 to 35 km/h increasing to 30 to 45 km/h by midday then turning to the west at 25 to 35 km/h in the early afternoon. Max. 18.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. Winds west at 20 to 30 km/h, turning to northwest at 15 to 20 km/h at night. Low of 12 High of 18.
Thursday: Cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Northwest winds at 15 to 20 km/h, becoming west during the day and then light in the afternoon. Min. 11 Max. 18.
Perth
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely from morning onwards. Northwest winds at 15 to 20 km/h, becoming west at 15 to 25 km/h at midday and then light in the late afternoon. Max. 20.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Light winds. Min. 10 Max. 20.
Thursday: Cloudy. Very high chance of rain. Winds from the east to the northeast at 15 to 20 km/h, turning to the north to the northwest at 25 to 35 km/h during the afternoon. Minimum 10 Maximum 21.
The warm weather this week will be a preview of spring (in the photo, women on the beach)
Canberra
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely at night. Chance of thunderstorms at night. Winds north to northwest at 15 to 25 km/h, becoming light at night and then northwest at 15 to 20 km/h at night. Max. 18.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the early morning. Northwest winds at 15 to 25 km/h, easing in the evening. Min. 7 Max. 17.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Light west to northwest winds at 15 to 25 km/h during the day then light at night. Min. 5 Max. 17.
Hobart
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers in the late afternoon and evening. North winds at 15 to 25 km/h, becoming light in the evening and north winds at 15 to 20 km/h in the evening. Max. 17.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, more likely in the morning. Winds from the north at 15 to 20 km/h tending to the northwest at 15 to 25 km/h in the morning. Minimum 9 Maximum 16.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. Northwest winds at 25 to 35 km/h. Low 8 High 17.
Darwin
Tuesday: Sunny. Light winds blowing from the east to northeast between 15 and 25 km/h at noon and then from the north to northeast in the afternoon. Max. 34.
Wednesday: Sunny. Light winds from the east to the southeast at 15 to 25 km/h in the morning and from the northwest to the northeast in the afternoon. Min. 22 Max. 34.
Thursday: Sunny. Light winds from the northeast to the southeast at 20 to 30 km/h during the day and from the northwest to the northeast at 15 to 25 km/h in the afternoon. Min. 24 Max. 35.
