Parts of Australia will experience their hottest temperatures since last summer from today, as Victoria faces its first total fire ban of the season.

A total fire ban and extreme fire danger rating are in effect in Victoria’s Mallee region today, with much of the state facing a high fire risk.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said temperatures this week were already between 6 and 16 degrees Celsius above the early November average.

“(Today) we will see the heat concentrated in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales,” he said.

“For Victoria we will see temperatures between 30 and 30 degrees, potentially up to 40 degrees (Celsius). For northern Victoria and then for New South Wales we will see temperatures particularly in the west of the dividing line climb to between 30 and 40 years.

He said the bureau expected the highest temperatures to head north-east towards the end of the week before reaching Queensland.

Fire warning for certain rooms

The head of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) in Victoria, Jason Heffernan, said high temperatures and the possibility of dry lightning could mean a difficult day for fire crews across the state.

Due to the extreme fire risk due to hot and windy conditions and a forecast temperature of almost 40 degrees Celsius, the CFA today announced the first total fire ban of the season for the Mallee region.

A total fire ban means no fires can be lit in the open air or left burning all day.

“Today we will see very hot temperatures across the state, very strong northwesterly winds and low relative humidity, leading to extreme fire risks for the Mallee,” he said. declared.

Mr Heffernan said one of the main risks the CFA was concerned about was dry lightning, which was expected across Victoria from this morning.

“We are asking Victorian communities, particularly our Mallee farming communities, although we know they are undertaking harvesting operations, to exercise a little more caution today while we have these conditions. total fire ban,” he said.

He said climate change is contributing to more unpredictable “peak days” of hot and dangerous conditions.

“Firefighters generally monitor what we call peak fire days, which are usually a total fire ban and fire hazards. extreme, or in the worst case, catastrophic,” Mr Heffernan said.

“Given the start of the season in spring and November in Victoria, peak days are a little harder to spot.

Mr Heffernan said a changing climate meant fire seasons were becoming a little harder to predict.

“And they cause fires on the days they arrive,” he said.

“(This is) one more reason why communities need to be aware of the situation facing the state.”

Predicted heatwave conditions

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said as the hot weather moved north, parts of Brisbane could experience a heatwave.

“(Queensland) is sort of unique in a national sense in that they will experience high temperatures overnight and during the day until the weekend,” he said.

“This results in mild to locally severe heatwave conditions for Channel Country, Maranoa, Warrego, Darling Downs, even towards the western suburbs of Brisbane.

“So for southern Queensland, particularly south-east Queensland, the peak heat will come on Thursday and Friday and we will see temperatures rise into the 30s for some western suburbs of Brisbane, including Ipswich.”

Mr How said people should take precautions, stay out of the sun and stay hydrated.

“With fire risks high, we remind people to follow the forecast and also check with your local fire departments,” he said.

“(There is) a little relief coming mid-week for South Australia and Victoria, but then continuing for New South Wales and southern Queensland into the weekend.”

Classic heat pattern for Australia

Mr How said the cyclical movement of warm weather followed by a cold front was a typical weather phenomenon across Australia.

“We see heat generally building up in parts of Western and Central Australia and a cold front moves through Western Australia first which pushes the heat eastwards and then it flows in the opposite direction clockwise towards the center of the country and just repeats the cycle over and over again,” he said.

He said forecasters and fire crews can expect to see similar trends as summer approaches.

“It’s pretty hot,” he said.

“We are also expecting fairly unsettled conditions (today) and fairly widespread thunderstorms extending from southern Victoria, including Melbourne, down to Victoria, South Australia, and back to WA.

“Over the next few days we will see the heat start to move eastward.”

He said on Thursday the heat would be concentrated in eastern and north-eastern New South Wales, which will be Sydney’s hottest day of the week, reaching 32 degrees.

It will be even warmer in northeastern New South Wales and southern Queensland, with temperatures between 30C and 30C.