Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane weather: Heatwave from hell strikes

Millions of Aussies will swelter through a four-day heatwave as other parts of the country are blasted with chilly temperatures and torrential rain.

A severe heatwave warning has been issued for southeast Queensland, with the mercury set to soar into the high-30s over the weekend and overnight temperatures remaining in the 20s.

High dew points – a measure of moisture in the air which affects how hot the weather ‘feels’ – are expected down the Queensland coast, with warnings of ‘oppressive’ heat between Brisbane and the Wide Bay-Burnett region.

It comes as parts of the Queensland’s inland tropics and the Northern Territory will receive a month’s worth of rain.

It’s a different story at the other end of Australia’s east coast as temperatures plummet amid rain and windy conditions, with Melbourne expecting a high of just 18C on Friday.

Queenslanders will head to the beach this week to escape the severe heatwave (pictured, beachgoers on the Gold Coast)

Brisbane will reach a top temperature of 31C on Thursday before two days of 34C-plus temperatures.

‘It is hot right across the state (Queensland),’ the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore told the Today show on Thursday morning.

‘We have low-intensity heatwave conditions expected from Cairns all the way down into north-east NSW.

‘That includes much of south-eastern Queensland, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast.

‘We are going to see temperatures on the coast in the low to mid-30s but in inland areas of south-eastern Queensland and up through the Capricornia, they could see temperatures into the high-30s and even low 40s in western Queensland that will hang around for a few days.’

Mr Narramore warned that southeast Queensland was in for a few sleepless nights due to the humidity.

‘Not only are these temperatures really high, there is so much moisture in the atmosphere, it can feel anywhere from three to eight degrees hotter than it actually is, particularly on the coast,’ Mr Narramore said.

‘The overnight lows will be higher than normal. We see 21s and 22s in Brisbane, but we are talking 24-25C, but “feels like” overnight temperatures are closer to 30 in southeast Queensland over the next few days.’

Further north, Queensland’s inland tropics and Northern Territory will cop a month’s worth of rain in the coming days.

Large swathes of Queensland will experience muggy (orange) and oppressive (in red) conditions

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Sydneysiders will also head to the beach this weekend with fine and sunny conditions forecast

More than 200mm or rainfall is expected, enough to cause flash flooding and cut off communities.

Darwin is also in for rain with up to 25mm of rain forecast on Thursday and another 20mm possible on Friday.

Sydney is also enjoying a dose of sunny weather which will warm up to 30C on Friday with conditions remaining fine over the weekend.

Meanwhile, southern and southeast Australia is bracing for a summer cold snap as temperatures plummet.

Rainy and windy conditions are forecast for Adelaide for the next few days and will only reach a top of 19C on Friday.

Further east, it will also be rainy and windy in Melbourne with a top 18C on Friday and maximum temperatures remaining in the low 20s. 

Pockets of south-east Queensland will experience severe heatwave conditions (in orange)

Melburnians (pictured)  will need to keep an umbrella handy for the cold and windy conditions

Victoria’s alpine regions will shiver through sub-zero temperatures with snow forecast.

‘A burst of cold polar air straight from the Antarctic is moving up and over the southeast,’ Sky News Weather meteorologist Alison Osborne said.

‘This pattern is something that we would more normally see in spring.

‘During Thursday, some temperature drops will be observed as that cool change moves in through Friday which is going to be chilly by summer standards.

In the nation’s capital, Canberreans will enjoy a mild 26C on Thursday before temperatures drop to a high of 18C on Friday and 21C on Saturday.

Over in the west, the heatwave continues in Perth with the mercury tipped to hit a sweltering 38C on Saturday and 36C on Sunday. 

It will be hot across most of Queensland over the weekend (pictured, beachgoers cooling off on the Gold Coast)