Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane weather: Life warning issued

Australia is facing wild weather in the coming days, with a very dry air mass and gusty southerly winds increasing the risk of fires in central and eastern regions, threatening lives and property.

“A robust high pressure system will take control of the weather later this week, bringing with it very dry air and strong southerly winds,” Weatherzone.com.au said.

“This dry air, combined with gusty winds, sets the stage for increased fire danger in many regions, including SA, parts of Victoria, inland NSW, Queensland and inland NT.”

The greatest impacts are expected Thursday through Saturday, with Thursday forecast to be the peak day as winds peak at 45 to 55 km/h.

This will cause the dew point, a critical indicator of air humidity, to drop well below 0°C over large areas, resulting in very dry air.

This causes shrubs to become more flammable, making it easier for fires to ignite and spread quickly.

“If fires occur, gusty winds could aggravate the situation by carrying embers significant distances and leading to spot fires that can ignite long before the main fire,” Weatherzone said.

“This dangerous combination not only increases the risk of large-scale fires, but also poses a threat to life, property and natural ecosystems.”

Advice for people living in risk areas to remain vigilant and check the weather forecast regularly to keep themselves and their property safe.

An extreme fire warning is in effect for Western Australia’s Exmouth Gulf Coast and South Australia’s west coast, with local residents warned to activate their bushfire survival plan.

In Western Australia, “hot and dry conditions on Monday will be combined with fresh and gusty sea breezes in the afternoon,” according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

South Africa will be “hot and dry with fresh and gusty north-northwest winds ahead of cooler, fresher or strong and gusty south-southwest winds moving from the west during the afternoon and evening” of Monday.

Forecasts for the capital

Brisbane

Clouds will clear in Brisbane on Monday with a high of 28C. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be partly cloudy.

On Tuesday and Wednesday there will be a low of 17 and a high of 28, and on Thursday temperatures will range from 19 to 32.

Sydney

Monday will be windy in Sydney with a chance of morning showers and a high of 21.

Tuesday and Wednesday will be mostly sunny, with a low of 14 on both days and a high of 23 on Tuesday and 27 on Wednesday.

A shower or two is expected on Thursday, with a low of 18 and a high of 23.

Canberra

On Monday it will be sunny in the federal capital, the temperature will be 24 degrees.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be partly cloudy.

Temperatures will range from 6 to 27 on Tuesday, from 9 to 26 on Wednesday and from 9 to 21 on Thursday.

Hobart

Clouds will clear in Hobart on Monday with temperatures reaching 22C.

There will be a shower or two on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Temperatures will range from 12 to 25 on Tuesday, from 9 to 19 on Wednesday and from 9 to 15 on Thursday.

Melbourne

On Monday, the clouds will clear in the capital of Victoria, with temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius.

Tuesday will be mostly sunny, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 29.

A rain or two is expected on Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures ranging from 14 to 20 on Wednesday and from 11 to 17 on Thursday.

Adelaide

On Monday, the South African capital will be mostly sunny, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees.

Tuesday will be cloudy, with temperatures ranging from 18 to 25 degrees.

Adelaide will be partly cloudy on Wednesday and Thursday, with 13 to 21 degrees on Wednesday and 12 to 20 degrees on Thursday.

Perth

Western Australia’s capital will be partly cloudy on Monday and Tuesday, with high temperatures reaching 20 on Monday and 11 to 21 on Tuesday.

Wednesday and Thursday will be sunny.

Temperatures will range from 10 to 25 degrees on Wednesday and from 14 to 29 on Thursday.

Darwin

Darwin will see showers and a possible storm on Monday, with a high of 34.

Rain and temperatures of 27 to 34 degrees are expected on Tuesday.

There will be one or two showers on Wednesday, with a low of 27 and a high of 34.

Thursday will be mostly sunny with a low of 21 degrees and a high of 33 degrees.