1 week Ago By Steve Zemek
Melbourne is set to swelter while South Australians have been warned of a “catastrophic” fire danger as a wave of heat blasts the country’s south on Saturday. The hot conditions are being driven by a low pressure trough which has pushed from Western Australia into the southern states on Saturday. BOM is forecasting temperatures to hit 34C in Melbourne on Saturday, with northerly winds up to 45kmh leading to a high fire danger.
An extreme fire danger has been forecast for the Mallee and Wimmera in northwestern Victoria. And a total fire ban is in place for those regions. In South Australia, a catastrophic fire danger has been forecast for the Eastern Eyre Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula regions.
Additionally, there is an extreme fire danger warning in place for the large swathes of the state covering the West Coast, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Flinders, Mid North, Mount Lofty Ranges, Riverland, Murraylands and Upper South East regions. “Hot and dry conditions coupled with strong and gusty north-westerly winds will drive extreme to catastrophic fire dangers over broad parts of South Australia during Saturday,” the bureau said. Adelaide is expected to hit 37C on Saturday.
Overnight, possible damaging winds are forecast for the Victorian alps and southeastern NSW, with the hot conditions to move into northern NSW and Queensland on Sunday..
