Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane weather: Heatwave blasts the east coast as temperatures soar to 15C above average

A scorching heatwave will spread across Australia’s southeast with millions set to sweat as temperatures soar to 15 degrees above average. 

Strong northerly winds will combine with a trough and bring the warm weather system to Victoria and South Australia this weekend. 

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a fire warning for Mallee and Wimmera, in Victoria’s northwest, due to the strong winds and warm weather.

Melbourne reached tops of 37 degrees on Friday and is expected to receive even more sweltering weather on Saturday before a cool change arrives. 

Most of the northern, central and eastern parts of Victoria are also expected to reach temperatures in the high 30s.

BOM meteorologist Christie Johnson said areas across southeast NSW are experiencing temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above average. 

Ballarat and Essendon Airport in Victoria as well as parts of South Australia set records for the warmest November night on Friday. 

‘Coonawarra in southeastern South Australia had its warmest November day, it got to 37.8C on Friday,’ Ms Johnson said.

‘We also set a couple of records overnight with the with minimum temperatures in places like Mount Gambier.’

But the heatwave will come to an end this weekend with showers and southwesterly winds set to bring a cool change to South Australia and Victoria. 

Ms Johnson said forecasts of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding across inland parts of South Australia throughout Saturday.

‘That storm risk extends down into western Victoria on Saturday as well, it’s connected to the storms that are ongoing over northern WA and the NT,’ she said.

Meanwhile, Sydney will swelter over the weekend and into much of next week. 

A high pressure system off the Tasman Sea has allowed hot air to slowly build up over the Sydney basin, according to Weatherzone. 

The air mass will also strike eastern parts of NSW until the middle of next week. 

Further north, eastern and inland areas across Queensland are set to drenched by showers for most of Saturday. 

Ms Johnson said flood warnings were in place for parts of Queensland as rain that had fallen in previous days moved through the river systems and made its way downstream.

The SES received 84 calls overnight from residents in Moreton Bay, the Gold Coast and Brisbane mostly for leaky roofs as the area was drenched with rain.

A similar weather system is set to sweep through parts of Western Australia, with strong wind gusts and heavily rainfall forecast for the northern interior. 

Brisbane

Saturday: Possible shower. Max 27

Sunday: Partly cloudy. Min 18. Max 27. 

Monday: Partly cloudy. Min 19. Max 28. 

Sydney

Saturday: Sunny. Max 28. 

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Min 18. Max 29. 

Monday: Sunny. Min 19. Max 28.

Canberra 

Saturday: Sunny. Max 32.

Sunday: Partly cloudy. Min 14. Max 33.

Monday: Partly cloudy. Min 15. Max 33.

Melbourne

Saturday: Cool change. Late shower or two. Max 37. 

Sunday: Rain. Min 18. Max 23.

Monday: Possible shower. Min 17. Max 23.

Hobart

Saturday: Possible shower developing. Max 29. 

Sunday: Cloudy. Min 14. Max 19. 

Monday: Partly cloudy. Min 12. Max 21. 

Adelaide

Saturday: Rain, easing later. Max 30. 

Sunday: Shower or two. Min 18. Max 26. 

Monday: Partly cloudy. Min 16. Max 26. 

Perth 

Saturday: Sunny. Max 29 . 

Sunday: Sunny. Min 17. Max 33.

Monday: Sunny. Min 16. Max 28. 

Darwin

Saturday: Shower or two. Possible storm. Max 32. 

Sunday: Shower or two. Possible storm. Min 25. Max 32.

Monday: Shower or two. Min 25. Max 32.