Australia's east coast set for sweltering heat and 'winter-like' conditions on same day

Parts of Australia can expect sweltering temperatures in the coming days, while some of Australia’s east can expect below freezing temperatures.

Queensland is set for another heatwave this week with hot, dry and windy conditions to be expected – increasing the risk of fires in the southeast where temperatures have been 10 to 12 degrees higher than average.

Across the state, temperatures are also forecast to reach 10 to 12 degrees higher than the average for October.

Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecaster Kimba Wong told AAP Tuesday may mark the warmest day in Brisbane in years.

"In Brisbane 36 degrees is the current forecast for Tuesday and that will be the warmest October day since 2005 if it comes up," she said.

"The maximum temperature record for October in Ipswich is 41.3 degrees, so getting up to 40 [or] 41 degrees in Ipswich on Monday and Tuesday is certainly getting pretty close."

Due to the soaring temperatures, and dry and windy conditions, fire warnings have been issued for the Darling Downs and Granite Belt, and the Maranoa and Warrego districts on Tuesday.

Conditions are set to be worse than they were in September, where parts of Queensland and NSW were devastated by large bushfires, Ms Wong said.

However, the cool change moving up the coast on Wednesday will prevent the danger from lingering.

BoM also anticipate fire dangers in the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coasts on Tuesday.

Queensland Health have warned people in Queensland to “stay cool”, suggesting people seek air conditioning or shade when possible and to keep hydrated and “give heavy exercise a miss”.

“Over the past few days we’ve seen a very hot air mass building across the continent, and that’s finally made it’s way into NSW,” BoM meteorologist Jonathan How said.

Mr How explained the “focus of the heat” for Tuesday would be in northeastern and northern NSW.

“We did see some records broken for October, in inland parts, in places such as Forbes and Orange,” he said.

The NSW Rural Fire Service also warned the state’s north western area was under an “extreme fire danger” rating on Monday.

Mr How explained around this time of year, Australia has the “peak in the fire season”.

“It’s been very hot and very dry across northeastern NSW, so with these dry conditions it has exacerbated these fire conditions,” he said.

Severe fire danger ratings and total fire bans will be in place for the Far North Coast, North Coast, Greater Hunter, Northern Slopes, New England and North Western NSW on Monday.

The rating will be very high in the Central Ranges, also subject to a total fire ban.

A NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman on Sunday told AAP warm and windy conditions were likely to extend into Tuesday.

There is a fire warning in place for the Far North Coast, North Coast, Greater Hunter, Central Ranges, New England, Northern Slopes and North Western areas.

The NSW RFS tweeted on Monday Kempsey had already hit 39 degrees just after 1pm on Monday.

Residents can expect some relief on Wednesday when the temperature is forecast to drop to 24 degrees.

NSW RFS on Monday battled a blaze 50kms west of Grafton in the Dalmorton State Forest, which did not pose any immediate threat to homes in the area and is currently under control.

Grafton reached a top of 40.6 degrees on Monday, the previous record for Grafton in October was 39.0 degrees in 2002.

BoM reported Sunday marked the hottest October day on record for Orange, Forbes, Young, Temora and Bombala.

But Sydney’s CBD will only reach a top of 24 on Tuesday and will settle back down to 19 degrees on Wednesday.

Rain is forecast for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Queensland and NSW will get some relief as a cool change comes up from down south, which will ease conditions on Wednesday.

Mr How also explained there was a chance of thunderstorms in NSW due to the “unstable atmosphere”.

“Because the air is so dry coming off the continent, these thunderstorms are likely to produce little, if any rainfall, so some dry lightning could spark up some new fires,” Mr How explained.

Meanwhile in Victoria, Sky News Weather channel meteorologist Alison Osborne said the state would see “a return to winter-like conditions” on Tuesday “as a cool front and rain band pushes through the southeast”, according to news.com.au.

Melbourne is expected to reach only 13 degrees on Tuesday, along with showers, after peaking at 18 on Monday.

Some places in the Alpine regions will have temperatures plummet into minus degrees.

Perth is expected on Tuesday to hit a top of 31 degrees following a maximum of 25 on Monday.

However there was a fire warning in place in the Pilbara region in Western Australia as of Monday.

“Hot and very dry conditions will combine with a fresh afternoon sea breeze over the western Pilbara this afternoon,” the BoM page states.

South Australia doesn’t have any fire warnings in place. Parts of Adelaide reached 19 degrees on Monday and the temperature is expected to drop down to a top of 16 degrees on Tuesday.

Temperatures will rise to just 24 on Saturday and there are currently no fire warnings in South Australia.

There is a strong marine wind warning for Tuesday in Adelaide Metropolitan Waters, Lower West Coast, Central Coast, South Central Coast, Spencer Gulf, Gulf St Vincent, Investigator Strait, Upper South East Coast and Lower South East Coast.

– With AAP

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