Australians who endured the relentless bushfires last summer are on edge again, with sweltering temperatures of up to 50C predicted in some areas over the next few days.
A heatwave will blast the country’s east from Thursday for five days, affecting swatches of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
Severe fire danger is predicted for the weekend, with some temperatures set to exceed long standing records in some locations, with high 40C seen across NSW.
It has prompted warnings from the Rural Fire Service, which has put swathes of the east coast on either ‘severe’ or ‘very high’ fire warnings for both Saturday and Sunday.
Sydney will swelter through 40C temperatures, with 39C due to be recorded in the city’s CBD, while Adelaide will endure 40C heat all weekend.
The forecast (pictured above) makes for grim viewing, with temperatures set to exceed 40 degrees in multiple areas across Australia leading into Sunday
The NSW Rural Fire Service will be on call, with most parts of NSW set to be scorching over the next few days – prompting several severe fire warnings (pictured, in orange)
Huge numbers are expected at the beach this weekend (pictured, sunbakers on Coogee Beach on November 15) as people look to escape the heatwave
Meteorologist Dean Narramore stressed the importance of having a plan to manage the exceeding hot weather, with temperatures peaking on Sunday.
‘The warm temperatures will start on Thursday, with the peak of the heat between Friday and Sunday,’ he said.
‘Some temperatures could be as much as 15 to 18C above the average.
‘We could see temperatures soaring to the mid-40s in some areas.’
It doesn’t bode well for residents in on the NSW south coast beyond Wollongong, many of whom lost their houses in the bushfires last December and January in places such as Eden and Shoalhaven.
Saturday will see the areas put on high alert for bushfires yet again, with ‘very high’ chances of blazes breaking out, according to the Rural Fire Service.
Newcastle, north of Sydney, is also bracing for the mercury to rise to as high as 41 on Sunday.
The 4,500km band of extreme heat stretches from Broome in Western Australia to the other side of the country in Canberra and beyond.
Inland regions will sweat through six straight days of temperatures above 40C (pictured, weather map for Saturday at 5pm)
Coogee Beach in Sydney’s east (pictured) will be packed to the rafters this weekend due to the heat
The extreme temperatures are the result of a series of heatwaves battering the nation, with a low intensity wave extending from Broome to Uluru, while a severe heatwave sweeps from Uluru to Canberra.
Tarcoola, Roxby Downs and Oodnadatta in South Australia will see the mercury hit blistering temperatures over the weekend.
Tarcoola is forecast to take the trophy for Australia’s hottest day ever recorded if it surpasses its previous record of 48.7C on Saturday.
Bureau of Meteorology Lead Meteorologist Matthew Bass told Daily Mail Australia the heat will begin setting in from Thursday.
‘The heat will then be brought down in northwesterly wind to Adelaide, parts of Melbourne and Northern Victoria and inland New South Wales,’ he said.
‘The inland will see the worst of the temperatures and lots of areas are likely to see temperatures of 40-45C through the interior.
‘We’re basically nearing records for the month of November in lots of places.’
Weather forecasters are predicting a hot, sunny summer despite the impact of a La Niña weather pattern (pictured: sunbathers relax on the grass at Coogee Beach on Sunday November 15)
People are expected to flock to the beach this weekend (pictured, sunbakers on Bondi Beach on November 20) with blazing temperatures forecast
This includes Port Augusta in South Australia which is forecast to reach 44C on Friday and 46C on Saturday.
While Mildura in Victoria is set to reach 42C on Friday and 45C on Saturday and Cobar in New South Wales is forecast to have four days above 40C.
Western Sydney suburb Penrith is also forecast to reach 41C Saturday and 42C for Sunday.
Ecuch and Kerang in Victoria are also highly likely to break their November temperature records of 44C from 2012 on Saturday.
Mr Bass said there may only be a very short reprieve before conditions start heating up again.
Bondi Beach (pictured above on November 20) will be the destination for many this weekend as the mercury continues to rise
‘Broadly across the country the heat actually is going to remain in place for quite a long time,’ he said.
‘The heat remains in place much of this week, and then it kind of recirculates next week.’
Mr Bass said people need to be aware of the impact of the hot weather and prepare accordingly.
‘The first heat wave can feel more impactful because people just aren’t used to the heat, so just making sure people are ready to adjust for the heat that is coming’ he said.
‘Obviously one of the big risks in heat waves is if you don’t get that cooling overnight.’
Mildura, in north west Victoria, will swelter through 38C on Thursday before soaring to 45C on Sunday
Plenty will no doubt flock to the water (pictured) to escape the high temperatures predicted for this weekend
The conditions are the result of a large area of high pressure system is building in the Tasman Sea, off the coast of NSW and Victoria, bringing hot wind from north west and central Australia.
Mildura, in north west Victoria, will swelter through 38C on Thursday before soaring to 45C on Sunday.
Coastal towns and cities will cool down by Sunday and Monday, but inland areas won’t have any reprieve from the heat.
Broken Hill, Dubbo, Mildura, Griffith, Forbes and Hay are forecast for 40C from the end of the week on wards.
Sydney’s beaches will be full on Saturday and Sunday, with high temperatures forecast
Heading north, temperatures will be slightly cooler in Queensland, with Sunday forecast to be the hottest day at 32C.
Canberra will be in the mid twenties until Thursday when the mercury will hit 30C before rising to 35C on Sunday.
Overnight minimums for the ACT capital will be remain in the low to mid teens.
Hobart will be far cooler than the mainland, with highs hovering around just 20C on Thursday and Sunday.
The Tasmanian capital will have some warm weather in between though, with highs of 27C forecast for Wednesday and Friday.
Darwin will experience thunderstorms this week with tops of 35C and lows of 27C.