Australia is currently the hottest country in the world, taking out all of the top ten spots for global towns and cities in the last 24 hours.
Birdsville in Queensland was the hottest place on earth on Monday at 2pm, hitting a high of 45.6C, according to data from Eldorado Weather.
Urandangi in Queensland wasn’t far behind at 45.2C and Walpeup in Victoria, hit 45.1C.
It comes as a severe heatwave grips the country, bringing one of the hottest December days in years.
Parts of Victoria, NSW and Queensland have hit the high 40s while the Northern Territory faces severe to extreme heatwave conditions for much of the next three days.
High bushfire risks are expected across Australia’s southeast with extreme fire danger warnings in place.
Mount Lofty Ranges in eastern South Australia and most of western and central Victoria including Melbourne are under extreme fire danger warnings.
‘These hot, dry, windy conditions are likely to lead to extreme fire dangers,’ Dean Narramore from the Bureau of Meteorology said.
A blast of heat has hit several states with temperatures in the high-40s recorded
Melbourne is expected to hit a scorching 41C today – the hottest December day since 2019
‘That means that if fires do get going in this weather, they’re likely to be uncontrollable and uncontainable.’
Melbourne, with an expected 41C, will face its hottest day since January 2023 and its hottest December day since 2019.
The mercury is expected to hit 46C in Mildura in the state’s northwest, 45C in Swan Hill and 44C in Horsham.
Total fire bans have been declared across most of Victoria with incident management teams and firefighting aircraft on standby in critical regional areas.
In Sydney, Penrith and Richmond are forecast to hit 35C on Monday and up to 41C on Tuesday. Temperatures across the Harbour City are predicted to stay high throughout the week.
Parts of inland NSW could face even more extreme heat than Victoria.
A maximum temperature of 47C is expected in Wilcannia, in central northwestern NSW, and 46.5C in Ivanhoe, about 180km further south.
A high fire danger warning will be in place for much of western NSW on Tuesday..
The heatwave has prompted a warning from Weatherzone urging people to take precautions and prevent heat-related deaths this year.
‘Heatwaves cause more deaths in Australia than any other natural disaster,’ a spokesperson said.
‘You can mitigate the effects of a heatwave by staying inside a cool building during the hottest part of the day, avoiding sports during the day, drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, taking cool showers or bath and avoiding direct exposure to the sun where possible.’
Queensland is also facing the risk of flash flooding on Monday as the south east as wet weather is forecast to hit from Yeppoon on the central coast to Brisbane.
The bureau warned southeast residents to prepare for flash flooding over the coming days.
Aussies are expected to stay cool by heading to the beaches as temperatures soar
It comes after Brisbane was battered by rain on Saturday with the downpour triggering flash flooding throughout the city.
A cold front is moving across South Australia on Monday morning and is expected to reach western Victoria in the afternoon, bringing relief to Melbourne and central parts of Victoria in the evening, Mr Narramore said.
But the heat will remain for the rest of the week in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Rain is also expected to continue throughout the week for Queensland’s coast, with daily totals up to 60mm.
Some areas may accumulate more than 150-250mm by the end of the week, Weatherzone warned.
Melbourne
Monday: Mostly sunny morning, with cloud increasing from the west in the afternoon. Slight chance of a shower in the late evening. The chance of a thunderstorm with little or no rainfall from the early afternoon. Thunderstorms possibly severe with damaging winds. Winds northerly up to 50 km/h shifting cooler south to southwesterly up to 25 km/h in the late evening. Max 41.
Tuesday: High chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning. Mostly sunny afternoon. Winds south to southwesterly up to to 25 km/h becoming light before dawn then becoming southwesterly up to 35 km/h early in the morning. Min 17 Max 24.
Wednesday: Slight chance of a shower in the morning. Mostly sunny afternoon. Winds southwesterly up to 20 km/h turning southerly up to 30 km/h during the morning. Min 14 Max 21.
Thursday: Sunny. Winds south to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light during the morning then becoming south to southeasterly up to 25 km/h during the afternoon. Min 12 Max 27.
Spots for cooling off will be in high demand as temperatures soar around the country
Sydney
Monday: Mostly cloudy morning, sunny afternoon. Slight chance of drizzle this morning. Light winds becoming northeasterly 20 to 30 km/h in the middle of the day. Max 29.
Tuesday: Sunny day. Slight chance of a shower in the late afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm in the west in the late afternoon and evening. Winds north to northeasterly up to 25 km/h shifting south to southeasterly up to 35 km/h in the evening. Min 20 Max 32.
Wednesday: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers in the morning. Winds southerly 25 to 40 km/h. Min 18 Max 23.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower. Winds south to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h becoming light during the evening. Min 18 Max 23.
Brisbane
Monday: Partly cloudy. Very high chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds southeasterly up to 35 km/h. Max 28.
Tuesday: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending easterly in the morning then becoming light in the early afternoon. Min 23 Max 28.
Wednesday: Cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly up to 20 km/h during the afternoon then tending south to southeasterly during the evening. Min 23 Max 29
Thursday: Cloudy. Slight chance of a shower, most likely in the morning. Winds southerly 15 to 25 km/h tending southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the evening. Min 20 Max 26.
Perth
Monday: Cloud clearing. Winds southwesterly 20 to 30 km/h tending southerly 15 to 25 km/h in the evening then becoming light in the late evening. Min 16 Max 25.
Tuesday: Sunny. Winds southeasterly up to 20 km/h tending easterly up to 40 km/h before dawn then turning south to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h in the afternoon. Min 17 Max 35.
Wednesday: Sunny. Winds east to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h shifting southwesterly 25 to 35 km/h during the morning then tending southerly 15 to 25 km/h during the evening. Min 20 Max 32.
Thursday: Sunny. Winds southerly up to 25 km/h tending south to southwesterly up to 35 km/h during the day then turning southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the evening. Min 16 Max 30.
Adelaide
Monday: Mostly sunny morning. Slight chance of a shower, most likely this evening. The chance of a thunderstorm late this afternoon and evening. Winds northwest to northeasterly up to 35 km/h tending northwest to southwesterly up to 40 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming southwesterly up to 35 km/h in the late afternoon. Max 38.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Winds southwesterly 25 to 35 km/h turning southerly in the late afternoon then decreasing to 15 to 25 km/h in the evening. Min 16 Max 26.
Wednesday: Sunny. Winds southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h. Min 13 Max 29.
Thursday: Sunny. Winds east to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h tending south to southwesterly during the day then tending southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the evening. Min 16 Max 33.
Hobart
Monday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely this evening. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds northerly 20 to 30 km/h becoming light in the late evening. Max 33.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the early morning. Winds southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light before dawn then becoming westerly 25 to 35 km/h in the morning. Min 16 Max 21.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Winds west to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h turning south to southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the afternoon. Min 12 Max 20.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Light winds becoming southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day. Min 10 Max 21.
Darwin
Monday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely during this afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm from late this morning. Winds westerly up to 25 km/h becoming light in the evening. Max 35.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the late afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds west to southwesterly up to 25 km/h tending west to northwesterly up to 20 km/h during the afternoon and evening. Min 27 Max 35.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds westerly 15 to 25 km/h becoming light during the evening. Min 27 Max 35.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming westerly 15 to 20 km/h during the day then becoming light during the evening. Min 25 Max 33.
Canberra
Monday: Sunny. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the evening. Max 37.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny morning. Slight chance of a shower in the afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming northwesterly up to 30 km/h in the morning then shifting easterly 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening. Min 19 Max 35.
Wednesday: Slight chance of a shower in the morning. Mostly sunny day. Winds east to southeasterly and light increasing to up to 30 km/h during the day. Min 13 Max 28
Thursday: Sunny. Winds southeasterly up to 20 km/h becoming light during the day then becoming easterly up to 25 km/h during the afternoon. Min 9 Max 28.
