Hottest day in years recorded across southern Australia as bushfire warnings remain

• Victoria and South Australia experienced their hottest day in years, with the temperature rising above 40 degrees Celsius in multiple regions.
• The heat has led to the outbreak and worsening of bushfires and grassfires in Victoria, while an out-of-control bushfire rages 27 kilometres from Perth.
• The heatwave is expected to continue in the coming days, with temperatures expected to peak in Sydney towards the weekend.

South-east Australia has sweltered through its hottest day in years as firefighters in Victoria and Western Australia continue to battle out-of-control blazes.

Some towns recorded their warmest maximum temperatures in seven years on Wednesday, including Whyalla (45.8 degrees Celsius), Port Augusta (46.3C) and Port Lincoln (44.5C) in South Australia, and Warrnambool (41.3C) in Victoria.

Melbourne reached a top of 41C, its highest in six years, while Adelaide recorded a peak of 43C.

New South Wales border towns Deniliquin and Hay reached 43C and 45C respectively, and while regions further east did not hit the same highs, parts of western Sydney recorded a maximum 38C and Canberra reached 37C.

To escape the heat, Daniela Alderdice and her two boys, Charlie and Otis, headed to the Marion Outdoor Pool in Adelaide.

"It's almost too hot [for the pool]. We've been here since 10 [o'clock] and we're looking to pack it up pretty soon," Ms Alderdice told the ABC before lunchtime.

In other parts of the country, border collies found relief at the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga in regional NSW, while families descended on a splash park in the north-west Victorian town of Mildura.

Angus Lee who travelled from Melbourne said he loved the weather.

"[The weather] is way better than Melbourne, I'm definitely going to be drinking lots of water here," he said.

Temperatures in Mildura hit 44C, and are forecast to reach 45C on Thursday and Friday. 

As beachgoers cooled off in the water, health authorities warned of the dangers of heatwaves and encouraged the public to prioritise hydration and indoor rest.

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) president Michael Wright said heatwaves could be deadly.

"My advice for all Australians is to drink plenty of water, try to stay indoors if possible during those peak UV hours of 11am to 3pm, and remember to 'slip, slop, slap'.

"It's also important to check in on friends and family members who are more vulnerable to the impact of heat waves, including older people."

Ambulance Victoria said it saw an average 12 percent increase in workload across the state on Wednesday, including a 41 percent increase in workload demand between 4 and 5pm.

Paramedics were called to an increased number of cases relating to breathing difficulties and heart-related concerns, as well as an incident where a child was locked in a car.

Public housing resident calls for air conditioning

For Melbourne public housing tenant John Bieganski, 63, the 40C heat hit hard.

There was no air conditioning in his Brunswick high-rise tower apartment, and he only had a couple of pedestal fans to cool him down.

He had a quadruple heart bypass just six months ago and suffers from diabetes, so the sweltering conditions can tip his health conditions over the edge.

"Very hot, sweaty. Not coping and it's gonna get worse by the evening," he said.

"I just got to keep getting fluids in me."

Despite the Victorian government committing $141 million to delivering air conditioning to high-rise public housing tenants in 2023, many like John are still waiting.

John said he wrote twice to Homes Victoria in the past year asking for air conditioning, to no avail.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Homes Victoria said all public housing towers, that were not slated for imminent redevelopment, would receive air conditioning by June 2027. That included the tower where John lives.

Interim CEO of the Victorian Public Tenants Association Raoul Wainwright said older people living in public towers were especially at risk of heat-related illness.

The heatwave is expected to continue in the coming days across the south-east of Australia, with temperatures expected to peak in Sydney towards the weekend.

Authorities try to contain Victorian bushfires

Firefighters continued to battle a number of bush and grassfires, with the most severe at Mt Lawson State Park in Victoria's north-east, also called the Walwa fire.

By Wednesday afternoon, it had burned through around 1000 hectares of land, a figure that was likely to grow, as communities including Bungil, Granya and Thologolong were urged to leave immediately.

About 305 firefighters were working to contain the out-of-control blaze, assisted by about a dozen aircraft and 30 bulldozers establishing control lines.

Chris Hardman from Forest Fire Management Victoria said crews were meeting with nearby communities, who were also affected by bushfires in 2020.

"It's pretty tough for those communities to deal with more fires in the landscape," he said.

An emergency warning was also issued for the central Victorian communities of Longwood, Longwood East, Ruggy, Tarcombe and Upton Hill, as a bushfire travelled from the Hume Freeway in a south-easterly direction.

Meanwhile, a grassfire in Tabilk in central Victoria prompted a "stay near shelter" warning for towns including Avenel, Mangalore and Nagambie, but was later downgraded after it was controlled.

While some parts of the state will be cooler on Thursday, CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said the hot temperatures and hot winds would ramp up on Friday, resulting in "catastrophic" and "extreme" fire conditions across the entire state.

"We will see, yet again, continuation of those mid-40C temperatures and an even greater increase in those very hot northerly winds," he said.

"Fires under these conditions are uncontrollable."

He urged Victorians living in bushfire-prone areas to prepare for Friday's extreme fire conditions.

Emergency east of Perth

An emergency-level bushfire warning in High Wycombe and Maida Vale, about 27 kilometres from Perth city, has also been issued, according to WA's fire authorities.

Authorities have urged people in an area bound by Brand Road, Sultana Road and Roe Highway in parts of High Wycombe to take shelter as the fire "has impacted evacuation routes".

In South Australia, 40 firefighters and five aircraft contained a grass fire in the state's Murraylands south-east of Adelaide.

Total fire bans were in place for 12 of the state's 15 fire districts.

- ABC