Extreme heatwave warnings grip Australia’s north as south-east rugs up

Extreme and severe weather warnings are gripping Australia this week, all the way from the north-west to the south-east.

In the north-west of Western Australia people are surrendering to their air conditioners and shade amid a heatwave.

There are severe heatwave warnings in both WA and the NT stretching into the weekend with temperatures expected to reach early to mid-40 degrees Celsius in some areas.

Meanwhile, Australia’s east coast is battling deadly fires, storms and rain, with Victoria’s south-east shivering through a cold patch.

This month the Bureau of Meteorology warned of a severe weather outlook with increased risk of heatwaves and bushfires in the north. 

Hot in the north

WA’s north is facing heatwaves stretching into the weekend, with a severe warning in place for the Kimberley district.

The Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome in the Kimberley, is the centre of the heatwave, with some parts expected to reach extreme conditions until Friday.

Maximum temperatures in the low to mid-40s are expected overnight with minimum temperatures in the mid-20s in the west Kimberley.

The weather bureau says severe heatwave conditions will peak over the next few days, then ease over the weekend.

The WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services said despite seasonal burning and mitigation the Kimberley region has been seeing a significant number of fires.

In response to the extreme weather, the WA Country Health Service released a health alert for people to stay safe.

“Seek a place to keep cool, such as your home, a library, community centre, or shopping centre,” the health service said.

“Severe heatwaves can be dangerous for many people, especially older people, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with medical conditions, and people who are unwell.”

In the Northern Territory an extreme heatwave warning has been in place since Monday for the Tiwi district, while Daly and Arnhem districts have been facing warnings of a severe heatwave.

Heatwave conditions in the NT are expected to continue into early next week.

Meanwhile, fire alerts persist along parts of the east coast.

Wind, rain, and storms in the south

As the north of the country battles high temperatures and fires, it is a different story for the south-east where people are rugging up to escape the cold.

In Victoria, a ridge is building and will remain until this Saturday before a cold front again crosses the state.

A moderate flood warning is in place for the Murray River, which is currently close to six metres up in some parts, with a peak predicted just over the NSW border close to Barham around Friday.

That cold front will cross Tasmania late Saturday to early Sunday.

Meanwhile, spring has brought unseasonably early heat for Queenslanders sweltering through summer conditions, with some parts above 40 degrees.

A fire weather warning is currently in place for central and western parts of the state including the Central West, North West, and Channel Country.

In southern Queensland, 16 homes have been lost and two people have died in the Tara region as firefighters continue their battle to control several major bushfires.

This follows days of bushfire alerts in NSW. The body of a man was found after a fire west of Kempsey on the north coast that burned tens of thousands of hectares. 

A cool change was expected across the south-east of the state late Thursday and into Friday, with showers and storms possible.

Meanwhile, huge surf is pounding the parts of the east coast as Tropical Cyclone Lola looms in the Coral Sea. 

Authorities have removed shark nets from 20 beaches ahead of “high winds and 5-metre swells” forecast over the weekend.

Nets were removed between Coolangatta and Main Beach on the Gold Coast on Wednesday, and on the Sunshine Coast between Caloundra and Rainbow Beach on Thursday.

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries said the conditions increased the risk of nets breaking free.

“Our top priority is to ensure swimmers and beach users are safe,” Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said.

“When weather conditions are unpredictable the department assesses the risk and, in this case, the safest decision is to remove the nets from the designated beaches.”

Drum lines will remain baited and beachgoers are urged to follow safety instructions at the beaches.

Extreme conditions in the state’s north-east have signalled the potential for the earliest-ever start to the cyclone season since reliable records began in around 1970, as late last week the weather bureau reported a high chance of a tropical cyclone brewing over the Coral Sea.

Australia’s tropical cyclone season typically begins in November and runs until April.

Cyclone Lola has since ripped through the north of Vanuatu where residents are picking up the pieces after widespread damage to homes and crops.

The Bureau of Meteorology says Lola could be the earliest recorded category 5 cyclone in Australian waters.