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Translated by: Flutura Gashi-Mehmeti
- 8 January 2026 09:35
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Parts of Australia will face catastrophic fire conditions on Friday, when heatwaves are expected to hit much of the country.
Extreme heatwaves have been declared in every state and territory in Australia except Queensland, with high temperatures forecast for several days.
The state of Victoria has declared a total fire ban for Friday as the fire risk assessment is set at "catastrophic," the highest level. About 450 schools and daycare centers will be closed.
On Thursday, firefighters battled several fires in Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), as dozens of planes carried water to control a large blaze near the town of Wodonga.
Melbourne experienced its hottest day in six years on Wednesday, with a maximum temperature of 40.9°C, while some coastal towns in Western Australia reached 49°C.
In NSW, the heatwave is expected to peak on Saturday, with Sydney expected to see a maximum temperature of 42°C, while parts of South Australia and Western Australia will face temperatures above 40°C in the coming days.
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Friday will be the "real peak of this heatwave", according to Angus Hines from the Bureau of Meteorology.
"It will be a very hot day for almost all of South Australia, Victoria, most of New South Wales and parts of Tasmania," he said.
Australia's fire risk assessment scale has four levels, with catastrophic as the highest level, followed by extreme, high and low.
