A run of at least five days above 30C is expected in one city.
Daytime temperatures have climbed to around 10 degrees Celsius above average across central and southern Australia.
The temperature increase is due to changes in the jet stream air current, leaving a large high-pressure system stationary over the Tasman Sea. The Bureau of Meteorology warned earlier this month that spring temperatures will be higher than usual across the country, after Australia’s warmest winter since 1996.and parts of the south-east.
The forecast for the increased heat is in contrast to last year, when Australia had its second-wettest spring on record. There are wind warnings in place for much of the south-eastern coast for Saturday, leading to concerns over the spread of fires.