The weather bureau has issued an El Nino watch and warns a drought could occur later this year after years of heavy rain and floods in the country's east.

The weather bureau has issued an El Nino watch and warns a drought could occur later this year after years of heavy rain and floods.

Fire bans have been declared and storm warnings issued as two states get set to sweat in an autumn heatwave.

Fire danger on the rise as summer hangover, windy days and abundance of rain-fed grass and vegetation threatens perfect late-summer storm.

The declaration, made by the Bureau of Meteorology, means there's a 50 per cent chance of the eastern Pacific warm phase developing later this year, for the first time since 2015.

El Niño weather warning has been issued so it's gonna be a hot, dry couple of months.