Parts of Australia hit by severe heatwave as temperatures pass 40C in NSW and Tasmanian bushfires threaten properties | Australia weather

Temperatures are starting to rise as the east coast of New South Wales experiences the first heatwave of the summer, while fire officials in Tasmania continue to battle numerous bushfires.

Heatwave warnings were also in place for parts of the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia on Friday; This includes a heatwave warning in WA’s Pilbara region.

The Tasmanian Fire Service said firefighting efforts were focused on Dolphin Sands in the state’s east, with residents who left the area overnight reporting it was not yet safe to return.

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Simon Pilkington, the fire service’s southern regional chief, said on Friday morning that the force was “aware of property losses at Dolphin Sands and will complete rapid impact assessments this morning to confirm the extent of this when safe to do so.”

TFS said residents of Glenlusk, near Hobart, where another fire is raging, can return with caution, while residents of Abels Bay, Colebrook, Levendale and Rhyndaston have been advised to monitor conditions in these areas.

In NSW, temperatures reached 31C in the Sydney CBD and Richmond at 10am, and 33C in the Olympic Park.

“It got very hot very early. We saw the westerly winds warming things up quite quickly,” Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said.

“We’re still headed for 35 degree temperatures in the city and eastern suburbs today. Anywhere west of Parramatta is likely to see 40 degree temperatures.”

A severe heatwave warning is in place for the Hunter, metropolis, Illawarra, central tablelands, southern plateaus and Snowy Mountains regions, while an extreme heatwave warning remains for the south coast, indicating the highest level of risk.

Australia’s national annual average temperature is around 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than in 1910, according to the BoM, and the climate crisis has increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

Scone and Muswellbrook in the Hunter region were expecting temperatures of 40C and 41C respectively on Friday, while Newcastle was forecast to hit a peak of 39C.

Extreme fire danger warnings were in place for areas including Sydney and the Hunter.

In the far north west of the state, temperatures are forecast to be above 40C in places such as Walgett and Bourke.

It was stated that high minimum temperatures are expected in the Sydney region on Friday night, and temperatures are not expected to fall below 21°C in the city and 23°C in the west.

He said the peak of the heat wave is expected on Saturday, with the temperature expected to rise above 30 degrees by 9 am.

“The other thing for Sydney tomorrow is it’s going to be very hot and variable, we’ll see thunderstorms in the early evening,” How said.

“The concern is there will be dry lightning, which could spark new fires.”

He said people should take reasonable precautions in hot weather, such as staying out of the sun and drinking plenty of water, and follow the Rural Fire Service’s warnings, especially on Saturday.

The Bureau has issued a severe heatwave warning for the Gulf Country in north-west Queensland, and severe heatwave warnings remain in place for the NT’s Tiwi, Daly and Gregory regions and WA’s Kimberley region. WA’s Pilbara region has been upgraded to an extreme heatwave warning.

Those areas inland Broome, including Fitzroy Crossing and the inland Kimberley, are expected to reach 45°C on Friday and Saturday and 46°C on Sunday and Monday.

In Victoria, temperatures were cooler in Melbourne on Friday but were expected to rise above 30 degrees in the state’s north, including the Mallee region in the north-west, where the Country Fire Authority declared a complete fire ban.

A cool change was expected to hit the NSW coast from Saturday evening, but was unlikely to reach Sydney until early Sunday morning, with light showers expected throughout the day.

He said cold weather would pass through Victoria and Tasmania on Saturday, bringing showers and thunderstorms, and some snow was expected in Tasmania up to about 1,000 meters on Saturday evening.