There's no relief in sight for Canberrans looking to escape the hot weather with a low-intensity heatwave expected over the next week.
Temperatures are set to remain in the high 30s to low 40s until at least the new year.
Minimum temperatures will also climb into the 20s early next week, which the Bureau of Meteorology says will exacerbate the heatwave conditions.
Meteorologist at the bureau Rob Taggart said the heatwave was a slow-moving one.
"There's no end in sight in terms of the temperature sitting in the mid 30s," Mr Taggart said. "Canberra is rated as having a low-intensity heatwave. By the time we get to the weekend and New Year's Eve, the night time temperatures start to increase, which makes it harder for the body to recover from the daytime heat."
The heatwave is caused by a slow-moving high pressure system moving over the Tasman Sea and the Great Australian Bight.
A maximum of 35 is forecast for Boxing Day, and the temperature is expected to rise to 37 on Friday and 38 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.
The mercury will nudge into the 40s on Monday before dropping down slightly to 38 on New Year's Eve.
The first day for 2020 will be 34 degrees with a low of 14. While the bureau has forecast for the chance of a thunderstorm on Friday, Mr Taggart said there was little chance of substantial rain.
"Because of the hot conditions, most of the rainfall would evaporate before it reaches the ground, and there's not much moisture in the air," he said.
Little relief is also expected from the smoke haze that has blanketed Canberra in recent weeks.
Thick smoke is expected late in the evening on Friday, driven by strong easterly winds blowing smoke over from nearby bushfires.
"It looks like Saturday and Sunday might be one of the better days due to north-westerly winds, although those winds will be hotter," Mr Taggart said.
"There'll be an easterly change on New Year's Eve which will then bring more smoke in."
