Australia is absolutely baking right now, and not in a fun “day at the beach” way — this is a dangerous heatwave that’s pushing temperatures into the 40s, keeping nights sticky and warm, and making it much easier for fires to take off across multiple states.
Officials are clear this isn’t just another hot week in summer, and they’re asking people to treat the heat like a serious safety issue, especially as things ramp up towards the weekend.
Why is it so hot?
A very hot air mass built up over Western Australia earlier in the week, helped along by a low‑pressure trough dragging in heat from central Australia and clear skies that let that heat keep building. That hot air has now pushed east and spread over a huge stretch of the country, so places in WA, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory and Tasmania are all feeling the effects at once.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has put out heatwave warnings across several states and explains that a heatwave means at least three days in a row when both days and nights are unusually hot for that time of year, not just a single very hot afternoon. Minimum temperatures are staying high as well, with some areas sitting six to 12 degrees above the usual January overnight lows, which makes it harder for homes and people to cool down before the next day starts.
New South Wales and the ACT
New South Wales is under a severe to extreme heatwave warning, which means the hot conditions are both intense and expected to last for several days. In Sydney, temperatures are forecast to sit in the low‑30s in the middle of the week, then push up towards the high‑30s and around 39–40 degrees by Saturday, with western suburbs such as Penrith and inland areas like the Riverina heading into the low‑to‑mid 40s.
In parts of far‑west NSW, including Broken Hill, the forecast is for temperatures in the low‑40s as the heat peaks. Fire danger is expected to be extreme in the Greater Sydney Region, Southern Ranges and Monaro Alpine areas on Saturday, with dry thunderstorms and gusty winds making it easier for new bushfires to start and harder for firefighters to control them.
Victoria
Victoria is one of the worst‑affected states in this heatwave, with Melbourne forecast to reach the low‑40s and face heat conditions similar to those not seen since before the 2019–20 Black Summer fires. Inland towns such as Mildura and other communities along the Murray River are expected to have several days above 40 degrees, with some forecasts pointing to tops around 45–46 degrees as the heatwave peaks.
Total fire bans are in place for the Wimmera, South West and Central regions, which include Melbourne and Geelong, meaning people are not allowed to light or keep fires going in the open on those days. Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch has cautioned that the state is moving into extreme heatwave conditions similar to those experienced in 2019–20, per the Sydney Morning Herald, and has emphasised that very dry ground conditions mean any fires that start could quickly become serious.
South Australia
South Australia is also dealing with extreme heat, with Adelaide expected to reach around 42 degrees and stay hotter than usual for several days in a row. The Riverland region, including towns such as Renmark, is forecast to be even hotter, with temperatures around 46 degrees as the worst of the heat moves through.
Bureau senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury told news.com.au some places across northern Victoria, south‑western NSW and eastern South Australia could get “up towards 46°C, possibly even 47°C or so”, which shows just how strong this heatwave is. Fire danger ratings in SA are sitting in the high to extreme range during the middle and end of the week, thanks to the combination of very hot air, low humidity and stronger winds.
Western Australia and the Northern Territory
Western Australia saw the first part of this pattern, with the very hot air building there before drifting east towards the rest of the country. Inland parts of WA have already had several days well into the 40s, along with higher fire danger and health warnings for people in exposed, remote or regional areas who may not have easy access to cooling.
In the Northern Territory, severe heatwave conditions are affecting parts of the interior and central districts, where daytime temperatures are well above average and nights are staying warm. While the most extreme bushfire concern this week is further south, authorities and workplace safety agencies in the NT are reminding people who work outdoors to take regular breaks, stay in the shade where they can and drink more water to avoid heat stress.
Queensland
Queensland is not seeing the same widespread run of days above 40 degrees as Victoria and South Australia, but the heatwave still stretches into the state’s south‑west and interior and is lifting temperatures well above normal there. The Bureau has issued heatwave alerts in those areas and is telling people to avoid hard physical activity in the hottest parts of the day, stay hydrated and keep an eye on anyone who might struggle in the heat, including older neighbours or people without good cooling at home.
Tasmania
Tasmania is cooler than the mainland but still warmer than usual, with some districts under heatwave advisories and temperatures several degrees above the January average. Warm, dry conditions and gusty winds ahead of a cool change are also pushing up fire danger ratings later in the week before milder air finally moves in.
Health warnings and staying safe
Health experts and emergency agencies are making the point that heatwaves quietly cause more deaths in Australia than many other natural disasters such as floods or storms. The Royal Australian College of GPs is asking people to drink plenty of water, rest indoors or in cooler places where they can and to keep checking on people who are more at risk, including older people, those with chronic health problems, pregnant people, young children and anyone who is isolated or sleeping rough.
“Heat waves can be deadly, and the Bureau of Meteorology has warned that this promises to be the ‘most significant’ heatwave south‑eastern Australia has seen in six years,” RACGP president Dr Michael Wright told SMH, urging communities to look out for each other.
Federal emergency officials have also warned that more people die from heat‑related conditions than from any other natural disaster and are asking everyone to plan for several hot days in a row, stay as cool as they can and “look after the vulnerable… the children, the elderly and listen to local emergency services”.
Lead image: Windy
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