Safety warnings as ‘heat dome’ looms over long weekend

Millions of people are bracing for brutal heat over the Australia Day long weekend as swimmers are warned of threats above and below the waves.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Kevin Parkin said the “heat dome” could bring record temperatures and fire danger to parts of the country.

As heatwave conditions shift eastwards, South Australia is first in the firing line, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees in capital cities in south-east Australia.

Temperatures will begin to rise in Victoria, inland NSW, the ACT and southern Queensland from Saturday and into next week.

As thousands of people flock to beaches and inland waterways to escape the heat, authorities are preparing for increased water safety risks.

It’s been a busy start to the summer for the Victoria Water Police Team, which has carried out nearly 500 rescues and issued nearly 280 infringement notices.

While Water Police Inspector James Dalton said there had been some “really serious” injuries, the majority of reports were from boat and jet ski collisions.

“People need to remember that a split-second decision can have lifelong consequences,” Insp Dalton told reporters on Friday.

Threats will extend below the surf, with thousands of lion’s mane jellyfish to be seen on Melbourne’s inner-city beaches.

Swimmers were asked to cover up or stay out of the water entirely as lifeguards prepared for painful stings.

Meanwhile, Sydneysiders are on alert for a more menacing predator after four recent shark attacks off the NSW coast.

The city’s popular northern beaches, which were closed following the attacks, are expected to reopen over the long weekend.

Lifeguards will conduct regular patrols to protect swimmers, supported by jet ski patrols, increased aerial surveillance and extra drum lines.

Drowning, which has killed approximately 50 people since the beginning of summer, poses an even greater risk.

Beachgoers are urged to stay within flags, and coastal drownings are three times more common on public holidays, according to Surf Life Saving Australia.

The risk extends to inland waterways, where calm surfaces can mask strong currents, rapids and poor visibility.

Senior meteorologist Jonathan How told AAP that temperatures in the coming days will rival those recorded in the Black Summer of 2019-20 and threaten to break all-time records.

The high temperature will be caused by the same slow-moving warm air mass that has caused temperatures to approach 50°C in parts of Western Australia this week.

Shallow winds will bring some relief to the southeast on Saturday afternoon and the mercury will rise again from Monday.

There are extreme fire danger ratings in parts of South Australia, with a catastrophic rating expected for the Yorke Peninsula on Saturday.

Adelaide is expected to reach 42C, while Maitland on the peninsula is expected to reach 44C.

There are moderate fire danger ratings across inland NSW, with extreme temperatures expected in the Northern Slopes and Central Ranges from Monday.

Sydney is expected to reach 33 degrees on Sunday and the high temperature is expected to continue next week.

Temperatures in Dubbo next week will be in the low to mid 40s, with similar conditions across the regions.

Melbourne will reach 40C on Saturday before reaching 41C on Tuesday, following a brief break on Sunday.

Parts of the state will approach 50C, with a top temperature forecast at 47C in Hopetoun, about 400km northwest of Melbourne.

Statewide winds next week are expected to be lower than those behind the fast-moving fires in early January.

But Mr How described it as a “double-edged sword”; The risk of fires spreading is lower, but it means high temperatures are likely to persist for longer.

Victoria will be under a total fire ban banning all open-air burns from Saturday.

There are already complete fire bans in some parts of SA.

Australia’s Associated Press is the beating heart of Australian news. AAP is Australia’s only independent national news channel and has been providing accurate, reliable and fast-paced news content to the media industry, government and corporate sector for 85 years. We inform Australia.