Australia is facing a severe heatwave that threatens to break temperature records across the southeast. The coming days could see all-time highs shattered in Victoria and New South Wales, as a massive heat dome engulfs the region, creating extreme to catastrophic fire conditions.
Starting this Saturday, the Bureau of Meteorology predicts a prolonged period of intense heat across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and southern Queensland. Some inland areas may endure over five consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 40°C.
Senior meteorologist Jonathan How warns that the heat will be challenging for everyone, urging people to stay cool and keep abreast of heat and fire warnings. High to extreme fire danger is expected across several southern states, with catastrophic fire conditions forecast for South Australia's Yorke Peninsula on Saturday.
Fires are still burning in many parts of Victoria following an intense heatwave earlier this month. Analysts attribute this to global heating, which has made such extreme weather events five times more likely. While there is no significant rain forecast in the coming days, the winds are not expected to be as strong or damaging as in previous heatwaves, according to How.
Temperatures are expected to peak in the high 40s, challenging all-time records in some states. The heat is already building in South Australia, with Oodnadatta reaching 34.7°C at 10 am on Friday. Adelaide is forecast to hit 42°C on Saturday, as cyclists in the Tour Down Under face their toughest stage at Willunga Hill.
In Victoria, some centers in the Mallee region could see temperatures approaching 49°C on Tuesday, according to How, potentially surpassing the state's hottest recorded temperature of 48.8°C in Hopetoun in February 2009. Mildura is expected to experience a gradual escalation, starting at 43°C on Saturday and climbing to 48°C on Tuesday.
Melbourne, hosting the Australian Open, is forecast to reach 40°C on Saturday, followed by a secondary peak of 42°C on Tuesday. In New South Wales, the heat is expected to peak on Sunday and again midweek, with the Riverina, central west, and northern regions likely to bear the brunt. Bourke is forecast to reach 49°C on Wednesday, approaching the state's all-time record of 50.1°C set in Wilcannia in January 1939.
The small town of Thargomindah in southwest Queensland could hit 48°C on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, Western Australia, still under heat and fire warnings, is bracing for a tropical low 660 km northwest of Broome to intensify into a category two cyclone named Luana as it approaches the Kimberley coast.
Australia experienced its fourth-warmest year on record in 2025, with average temperatures up 1.23°C nationally, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The climate crisis has exacerbated the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, including heatwaves and bushfires. The latest long-range forecast predicts hotter than average days and nights to continue until April for much of the country, with sea surface temperatures remaining warmer than average globally, including around Australia.
This heatwave serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address the climate crisis and its devastating impacts.
