Australia weather: Heatwave to hit Melbourne, Sydney as Victoria battles bushfires

• Temps in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide to soar
• Bushfires ravaging Victoria
• READ MORE: Rain bomb and heatwave to strike Australia

More than 30,000 residents in one state have been told to evacuate as intense bushfires rage on – with parts of Australia set to swelter through a heatwave.

Melbourne could reach temperatures of up to 37C on Wednesday while Adelaide could see a day as hot as 33C, with Sydney to see tops of 36C on Thursday.

A cool change is forecast to bring some reprieve for Melbourne and Adelaide residents late on Wednesday evening.

Victorians have been meanwhile told to flee fire danger zones while they can as catastrophic and extreme-level warnings consume some areas in the state’s west.

The Bayindeen bushfire, northwest of Ballarat, was still raging on Wednesday after authorities released a map showing the fire could rip through areas including Beaufort, Elmhurst, Glenbrae, Amphitheatre, Lexton, Learmonth and Clunes.

Residents in the affected areas – about 30,000 – were sent a text message on Tuesday urging them to leave by midday.

A fire is seen burning in Raglan, Victoria last week. Victorians have been meanwhile told to flee fire danger zones while they can

Fire warnings in Victoria with catastrophic conditions in Wimmera

‘Do not travel to these areas. Do not wait until the bushfire spreads closer before moving to a safer location,’ the warning said.

‘The Bayindeen fire could grow significantly and may become uncontrollable. If you do not leave today, you may become isolated and your route to safer locations may be blocked.’

Forecast temperatures in the high 30s and wind gusts of up to 80km/h in the area were expected to fan the flames.

The Bayindeen fire had burned through more than 21,300 hectares as of Tuesday.

Residents were warned to get out by Wednesday morning, while those in regions with extreme fire danger were also told to flee.

The areas with an extreme fire danger rating on Wednesday were the Mallee, Northern Country, North Central, Central and South West regions.

Mildura was set to reach 44C and other areas were also expected to creep into the 40Cs before a cool change approached central parts of Victoria after 8pm.

Residents fleeing danger zones were urged to go to built-up areas such as Ballarat, Ararat and Maryborough.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan had earlier warned Wednesday would be the worst day of the fires.

‘Tomorrow is likely to be one of the most dangerous fire days Victoria has experienced in recent years,’ she said on Tuesday.

Residents in aged care centres in the affected areas along with prisoners from the Langi Kal Kal jail have also been evacuated.

As many as 100 schools have closed.

The final days of summer are set to bring a wild mix of weather across Australia, including widespread rain and thunderstorms, sweltering heat waves and dangerous fire conditions (pictured is forecast for Wednesday)

Smoke from a bushfire in Bayindeen is seen billowing into the sky last Thursday

Victoria Police strategic commander Jason Templar told a Pyrenees Shire Council meeting at Beaufort on Tuesday afternoon rapid deployment teams would be ready to close roads at the incident controller’s behest on Wednesday.

‘The messaging around being out and being out early is so important because once those roads close, that’s it,’ he said on Tuesday.

‘Today or early tomorrow morning is the time to get out … and the reason we close them is purely for public safety, it’s too dangerous to be on those roads.’

Beaufort’s urgent care centre was closed on Wednesday and the Bayindeen bushfire threatened to cut power to homes if it came over the Western Highway.

Total Fire Bans declared for Wednesday in South Australia: 

• Flinders – Extreme

• Mid North – Extreme

• Mount Lofty Ranges – Extreme

• Riverland – Extreme

• Murraylands – Extreme

• Upper South East – Extreme

• Lower South East – Extreme

Pyrenees Shire Council mayor Robert Vance warned his constituents, ‘this beast is a reality’.

‘When the beast is gone (and) he’s blacked out, we’ll be around to help everybody,’ he said.

About 500 firefighters were again expected on the ground, with more than 60 aircraft ready to fight the blaze and any fresh fires.

The NSW Rural Fire Service – which has deployed 25 fire trucks and 110 of its own firefighters to help battle the Bayindeen blaze – has additional aircraft on standby close to the Victorian border.

Extreme fire danger was also expected for much of eastern South Australia on Wednesday, with Emergency Services Minister Joe Szakacs warning the state’s firefighters were facing some of the harshest weather this summer.

Seven South Australian districts had an extreme fire danger rating on Wednesday.

‘It’s entirely reasonable for the community to have enjoyed what has been some respite this summer, and we are days away from autumn,’ Mr Szakacs told reporters.

‘(But) complacency must be parked to the side. We are, as a state, facing some serious conditions.’

The Bayindeen fire in Victoria has so far destroyed six homes but more are expected to be accounted for once conditions subside.

Smoke from bushfires north of Beaufort, near Ballarat, are seen burning

The areas with an extreme fire danger rating on Wednesday in Victoria were the Mallee, Northern Country, North Central, Central and South West regions (pictured is firefighter in Raglan, Victoria)

It comes as a broad low-pressure system and associated monsoon trough is forecast to produce rain and thunderstorm activity over much of northern Australia, including parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

The wet and stormy weather is set to spread further south and west as the week unfolds.

Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said the week’s rain over northern and central Australia will fall over areas that still hold groundwater from Tropical Cyclone Lincoln.

‘This will increase the risk of flash flooding and outback road closures with any periods of heavy rain over the coming week,’ Mr Domensino said.

In other capital cities such as Brisbane, residents are in for a warm and sunny week with temperatures to linger in the low 30s.

Perth residents will see a warm and dry week with the mercury forecast to hit 33C on Thursday and 34C on Friday.

Hobart may see some rain on Wednesday with a maximum of 31C, with the rest of the week sitting in the low to mid 20s.

Canberra will be dry and hot with a sweltering 34C expected on Thursday.

Darwin is still in its wet season with storms forecast this week and a maximum of 32C.

THREE-DAY FORECAST FOR CAPITAL CITIES

ADELAIDE

Wednesday: Sunny. Min 23C Max 31C.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Min 17C Max 27C.

Friday: Mostly sunny. Min 14C. Max 29C.

MELBOURNE

Wednesday: Windy. Late cool change. Min 20C Max 38C.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Min 19C Max 25C.

Friday: Partly cloudy. Min 16C Max 24C.

HOBART

Wednesday: Showers increasing. Up to 5mm of rain. Min 15C Max 31C.

Thursday: Cloudy. Min 18C Max 25C.

Friday: Partly cloudy. Min 13C Max 24C.

DARWIN

Wednesday: Showers. Possible thunderstorm. Up to 15mm of rain. Min 26C Max 32C.

Thursday: Showers. Possible thunderstorm. Up to 15mm of rain. Min 26C Max 32C.

Friday: Showers. Possible thunderstorm. Up to 7mm of rain. Min 26C Max 32C.

Source: Bureau of Meteorology

CANBERRA

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Min 15C Max 32C.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Min 19C Max 34C.

Friday: Partly cloudy. Min 15C. Max 32C.

SYDNEY

Wednesday: Cloud clearing. Min 21C Max 30C.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Min 21C Max 37C.

Friday: Partly cloudy. Min 21C. Max 28C.

PERTH

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Min 17C Max 30C.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Min 16C Max 33C.

Friday: Partly cloudy. Min 19C Max 34C.

BRISBANE

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Min 22C Max 30C.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Min 22C Max 32C.

Friday: Mostly sunny. Min 22C Max 32C.

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