Overview
- The Bureau of Meteorology says this may be the most severe multi‑day heat event in the southeast since 2019–20, with inland highs in the mid‑40s and some South Australian towns forecast to reach 47C.
- Severe or extreme heat warnings cover New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, with extreme fire danger flagged across large areas of Victoria and South Australia and total fire bans in place in parts of the region.
- Emergency‑level bushfires are burning in South Australia and Victoria, prompting evacuation orders and advice for residents to leave early as authorities battle multiple incidents.
- The highest risk period runs through Friday, when severe thunderstorms with little rainfall could produce dry lightning and erratic, gusty winds; officials caution that fire danger may reach extreme to catastrophic levels in parts of Victoria.
- Power grids and services are under strain, with thousands losing electricity in Adelaide, while deeper soil moisture and onshore breezes are tempering immediate Black Summer‑style crown‑fire behavior as researchers highlight growing climate‑driven volatility in fire regimes.