Temperatures to hit more than 40C in four Aussie states next week
Millions of Aussies are set to experience days of 40-plus degrees as a heatwave starts to move across the nation.
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Published: 09:16 GMT, 3 January 2026 | Updated: 09:16 GMT, 3 January 2026
Millions of Aussies are set to experience a heatwave that could last for days as temperatures are expected to hit the mid-40s.
Early next week a weather system will push a hot air mass through Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and NSW.
WA will cop the heat first this weekend before it moves across the nation and into the southern and eastern states.
The 40-plus degree days will hit SA and central Australia on Tuesday, before Victoria and NSW feel the heat from Wednesday onwards.
Millions in western Sydney will have to put up with 40-plus degree temperatures for at least three consecutive days in the back half of next week before a cool change comes through on Sunday.
The highest recorded temperature in Penrith was 48.9 degrees on January 4, 2020, which was a record for a Sydney suburb.
Adelaide and Melbourne could experience a 40-degree day on Wednesday while the northern Victorian town of Mildura could cop a sweltering 45-degree day on Thursday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe heatwave warning: 'Severe heatwave conditions building over much of the state across the weekend and continuing into next week.'
Sydney residents will be looking for relief at the beach next week as temperatures rise
A heatwave will move across the country from Sunday with WA copping the heat first
Penrith Beach will be popular next week as temperatures soar
Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said it could be a record-breaking heatwave in some parts: 'Numerous computer models suggest temperatures could reach around 45 to 46 degrees in parts of WA, SA, Vic and NSW, with some spots possibly reaching about 48 degrees.
'The hottest weather over the coming week will occur inland, away from Australia's state capital cities, but the major cities won't completely escape the heat,' he said.
There won't be much relief overnight in western Sydney either, with lows only falling to the mid-20s shortly before the sun rises again.
Heatwaves caused 1,009 deaths in Australia between 2016 to 2019, according to an analysis by researchers at Monash University.
Heatwaves appeared to have a greater impact on cardiovascular and respiratory deaths than on cancer-related deaths, the researchers found.