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Hot days and warmer than normal nights are expected in Sydney as a severe-to-extreme heatwave builds throughout the rest of the week across south-eastern Australia.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a heatwave warning for NSW, with a prolonged period of heat forecast across the state.
A severe to extreme heatwave is forecast to begin building on Wednesday.Credit: Windy
A top of 31 degrees has been forecast for Sydney on Wednesday, rising to 37 degrees in Penrith, with other parts of western Sydney expecting 35 degrees.
Temperatures could hit the mid-40s as the severe to extreme heatwave expands before an expected peak at the weekend.
It comes after the mercury climbed above 40 degrees in parts of Sydney during a heatwave early in December.
The heat and conditions helped fuel a number of bushfires, including one on the Central Coast, in Koolewong, that destroyed 16 homes.
A bushfire destroys houses in Koolewong in December.Credit: Craig Gill
Heat building across Western Australia will move towards the east on Wednesday, rapidly increasing temperatures across much of southern and eastern Australia, senior meteorologist Helen Reid said.
“South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and much of NSW will see daytime temperatures pushing around eight to 16 degrees above the January average.
“A heatwave is not just a normal spike of summer heat, it’s a period of three or more days when the daytime and nighttime temperatures are unusually hot,” Reid said.
While no fire bans have yet been declared by the NSW Rural Fire Service, extreme fire danger is forecast on Saturday in Sydney, the Southern Ranges and Monaro Alpine regions down to the border with Victoria.
“Dry thunderstorms with gusty winds will elevate the risk of new fires as well,” Reid said.
Keith Greenbank swelters outside his house in Penrith in 40-degree heat early in December.Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Broken Hill in far-western NSW are expected to reach 42 degrees on Wednesday, while temperatures in the Riverina are forecast to range between 41 and 42 degrees.
SA and Victoria will also experience the sweltering conditions on Wednesday.
Melbourne is forecast to reach 42 degrees and inland parts through to the north could reach up to 46 degrees, as the severe heatwaves builds.
Sydney siders cool off at Cronulla Beach during the December heatwave.Credit: Sam Mooy
Total fire bans are in place in Victoria for the Wimmera, South West and Central regions, including Melbourne and Geelong for the first time this summer.
Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch is warning of challenging extreme heatwave conditions “not seen since 2019-20”.
He said there was a very real risk of serious fires starting off the back of underlying dry conditions.
The Royal Australian College of GPs has also issued a warning urging the public to prioritise hydration, rest indoors, and check on people more susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
“Heat waves can be deadly, and the Bureau of Meteorology has warned that this promises to be the ‘most significant’ heatwave south-eastern Australia has seen in six years,” the college’s president, Dr Michael Wright, said.
Australia experienced its fourth-warmest year on record in 2025, while 2024 was the nation’s second-warmest year.
with AAP
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