It’s looking to be a hot start to the weekend for most Australian states, as a hot, dry air mass pushes to the southeast.
High fire danger is forecast for parts of NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland, as dry, hot and windy conditions sweep across the country on Friday,
The air mass will continue to move eastwards over the weekend, with extreme fire danger forecast from northern NSW down to metropolitan Sydney on Sunday.
The outlook is set to make the work of firefighters fighting large, out-of-control fires still burning in Kempsey, NSW and Bundaberg, Queensland a lot harder.
NSW
Temperatures plummeted in NSW earlier this week, with maximum temperatures reported in the low 20s.
The mercury is steadily rising across the state, with a high of 25C in Sydney on Friday.
Warm, sunny weather will stick around until Monday, with Sydney’s worst heat – a high of 30C in the CBD – due to settle in on Sunday.
More than 60 fires continue to burn across the state, with high fire danger remaining in multiple regions until Sunday.
ACT
A mostly sunny day is expected in the nation’s capital on Friday with a top of 27C.
Dry heat will intensify by Sunday, sending the temperature up to a top of 29C.
VICTORIA
High fire danger is in place in the far northwest of Victoria on Friday with a maximum of 35C forecast for Mildura.
Down in Melbourne, temperatures won’t quite reach the same extreme with a high of 29C.
By Sunday, the heat will dissipate, making way for a cool, rainy Sunday and a low of 11C.
SA
A cloudy day is ahead of Adelaide residents, with a maximum of 27C on Friday.
Large swathes of the state are already under high fire danger and this will persist for most of the weekend before the hot air mass moves east towards the coast on Sunday.
QUEENSLAND
A hot but overcast prelude to the weekend is under way in Brisbane, with a high of 28C on Friday.
The temperature will enter the mid-30s from Sunday, with the hot weather due to stick around until mid-next week.
Fire danger is high in the state’s Central West on Friday.
TASMANIA
The southernmost state will miss out on the hot, dry blast arriving over the rest of the southeast on Friday.
Drenching rains are due to hit Hobart from Sunday, with totals of up to 120mm expected to fall between now and Sunday.
WA
Perth is off to a mostly sunny start to the day, with a high of 26C on Friday.
The warm weather will stick around for the coming days but temperatures are unlikely to crack the 30s.
NT
Darwin will be sweating through temperatures in the mid-30s from Friday to Sunday.