Extreme bushfire warnings in Australia as temperatures soar to 45C in worst heatwave for years

Australia is bracing for extreme bushfire danger as soaring temperatures fuel what forecasters say may be the most severe heatwave since the “black summer” of 2019-20.

The Bureau of Meteorology said a vast stretch of dry, hot air was pushing eastwards from Western Australia into South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, raising the fire risk.

In several regions, daytime temperatures are forecast to exceed 45C, with little overnight relief, creating dangerous conditions for both people and emergency services.

Meteorologists say the most critical period will be in midweek when multiple states are likely to experience consecutive days of extreme heat.

“Our main concern is the three-day period running Wednesday through Friday,” forecaster Dean Narramore said.

“We’re likely to see extreme heatwave conditions over a huge part of NSW and northern Victoria, practically everywhere between Melbourne and Sydney and extending well inland,” he added. “It is looking like the most significant burst of heat for southeastern Australia, particularly in terms of multiple days in a row of mid-40 temperatures, since the summer of 2019-20.”

Populated coastal centres are unlikely to be spared. “We will see temperatures really jump up to our populated parts of southeastern Australia, with even our coastal areas looking at temperatures in the low 40s,” Mr Narramore said.

“That does include Adelaide and Melbourne and everywhere in between.”

Matthew Sweeting from energy supplier Ausgrid warned that there was “an increased risk of unplanned outages during prolonged heatwave conditions, due to an increase in demand on the grid”.

Authorities said the combination of scorching heat, dry vegetation and gusty winds could see fire danger escalate.

“If any bushfires do get going under these conditions, they can spread extremely quickly and be very difficult or impossible to control and contain,” Angus Hines, a senior meteorologist, told the Guardian.

South Australia and Victoria are forecast to bear the brunt of the heat early, with Melbourne, the latter state’s capital, potentially recording its first January day above 40C since 2020.

While conditions are expected to cool slightly in the city on Thursday, heat levels will stay elevated across northern and eastern parts of the state where temperatures can climb to a record-breaking 46C, according to Michael Efron, a senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology.

Emergency services are urging residents to prepare for extreme conditions, checking bushfire plans and limiting outdoor activity. The electricity grid is also under pressure, with soaring demand for air-conditioning increasing the likelihood of outages.

The heatwave follows an exceptionally warm year. “Between January and March, and between October and December, large parts of Australia experienced heatwave conditions, reaching extreme severity at times,” Nadine D’Argent, a climatologist, noted.

A recent report estimates that about 6.9 million Australians now live in fire-prone zones on city fringes – more than 65 per cent higher than in 2000. The report from Emergency Leaders for Climate Action and the Climate Council warns the outskirts of major cities face growing bushfire risks similar to those that marked the deadly Los Angeles wildfires of 2025.

The report says that “climate pollution, from burning coal, oil and gas, is turbo-charging dangerous fire conditions”.

“This is making LA-style urban blazes increasingly likely in parts of Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart,” it concludes.