Canberra has sweltered overnight, after the city recorded its highest overnight minimum temperature on Sunday morning.
Preliminary data from the Bureau of Meteorology shows the mercury reaching 26.7 degrees at Canberra Airport at 4.07am.
The previous high at the weather station was 24.4 degrees which was seen on January 13 in 2010.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Abrar Shabren said the record high minimum came as similar weather conditions swept across south-east Australia.
"At 7.40am on Sunday, the temperature already reached 30.3 degrees," Mr Shabren said.
"It's very high minimums for this time of year."
And there is the next all time record for Canberra - Highest low 26.7C eclipses 26.0C pic.twitter.com/ySk31r8bwK
— Brian P Schmidt (@cosmicpinot) February 1, 2020
Canberra hit a top temperature of 42 degrees at 2.22pm on Saturday, with wind gusts reaching 61km/hr.
While temperatures are expected to be lower on Sunday than those seen on Saturday, strong winds and hot weather are still expected around the bushfire front.
Temperatures in Canberra will reach a high of 34 on Sunday with the possibility of showers during the early part of the day.
"It will be a partly cloudy day today and there'll be areas of smoke haze and dust haze in the early part of the day and the chance of thunderstorms in the evening as well," Mr Shabren said.
"We'll see north-westerly winds of between 35 to 40km/h."
Preliminary data suggests that the #Canberra overnight minimum of 26.7 degrees at 4:07am was the warmest on record for any month. Temperatures today will reach 35 ahead of a possible gusty #storm. Tomorrow warm and sunny with a max of 30. Latest forecast: https://t.co/0EQIXNUhqzpic.twitter.com/9Gc1kzCR0e
— Bureau of Meteorology Australian Capital Territory (@BOM_ACT) February 2, 2020
Stronger wind speeds are expected closer to the firefront in Canberra's south, reaching as high as 60km/h gusts in elevated areas.
"This will make firefighting difficult and will add to the problematic situation for people living near the fire area."
The strong wind speeds will continue for most of the day before easing into the evening.
In a relief for firefighters, temperatures will ease later in the week.
"There will be warm temperatures on Monday into the 30s but from Tuesday we'll be looking at temperatures between the high teens and mid 20s," Mr Shabren said.
Despite the ease in weather on Sunday, ACT Emergency Services Agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan said erratic conditions were still expected near the Orroral Valley bushfire in the Namadgi National Park.
"We're expecting a potential storm coming in from the north-west and it may bring lightning with it," she said on Sunday morning.
"There could be a combination of winds and thunderstorms, and as we know, this fire has its own character."
