Australia Weather News

Parts of south-east Australia are bracing for severe heatwaves and fire warnings over the long weekend, while in Western Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a tropical cyclone warning.

There are catastrophic and extreme fire warnings across southern South Australia, and western and south-west Victoria.

Bureau forecaster Jonathan How said the heatwave would affect South Australia, Victoria, southern Queensland, and New South Wales.

The BOM has issued extreme heatwave warnings for five states and territories.

Mr How said that over the next seven to eight days, temperatures would reach the low to mid 40s in some locations.

"We're expecting to see quite a prolonged run of heat, especially through inland areas," he said.

"Even peaking up into the high 40s across parts of New South Wales and northern Victoria.

"So a very, very hot long weekend to come and very little relief until the middle of next week."

Fire warnings and record-breaking heat

The weather bureau expects the hottest conditions for the longest period of time to be in parts of northern Victoria, inland New South Wales and southern Queensland.

Fire danger is also forecast to reach extreme levels in southern South Australia, and western and south-west Victoria.

Fire conditions are predicted to be catastrophic on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.

"The message for those heading out to the bush or hiking or at the outback this weekend is to keep across the latest updates from the CFS in South Australia and then the CFA in Victoria," Mr How said.

"Then even over the long weekend, Sunday, Monday, we are still expecting to see elevated fire dangers, including for New South Wales."

Mr How said the heatwave over the long weekend could see previous temperature records broken in parts of northern Victoria, inland New South Wales and southern Queensland.

"We are seeing these temperatures of about 10 to even 16 degrees above the January average," he said.

"So very much above average, both during the daytime and also the night, when we get the combination of hot days followed by hot nights.

"It does mean that there's very little relief for people, especially when you come to sleeping. So it will be very uncomfortable."

Several records may be broken or come close to being broken based on the forecasts:

* Note: higher maximums were recorded pre-1910 before Stevenson screens were standardised.

Tropical Cyclone Luana arrives in WA

The BOM has issued a tropical cyclone warning for Western Australia between Broome and Kuri Bay in the Kimberley.

It has also issued a watch zone between Bidyadanga to Mitchell Plateau.

Tropical Cyclone Luana strengthened overnight to category one, and is expected to cross the coast between Beagle Bay and Cape Leveque, around 2,000km north of Perth.

Residents in the affected areas are urged to prepare for damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall.

BOM meteorologist Jessica Lingard said the winds around the cyclone were likely to push water up towards the King Sound near Derby.

The system comes just weeks after ex-Tropical Cyclone Hayley impacted the Dampier Peninsula, causing damage to coastal communities.

"Coastal inundation is a significant risk for the community of Derby during Saturday and Sunday," Ms Lingard said.

"Communities in those areas need to be paying attention both to the forecast and warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology and paying attention and heeding the advice from the emergency services."

Ms Lingard said once the cyclone crossed the coastline, it was expected to move in a southerly direction.

"It's then likely to bring increased rainfall through the interior of WA and down towards the south-east coastline of WA before moving away into the Great Australian Bight," she said.

"By that time, it will be washed away, and there won't be really too much that you'll be able to track of the remnants of that system.

"So it is very unlikely that it will impact states outside of WA."