Australia's heatwave to continue for the next few days

Australia's extreme and extensive heatwave will continue over the next few days. Four months of dry, hot conditions with a stationary high pressure over the continent and failure of northern monsoon rains have aided the intense heat.

With conditions a little more comfortable during the last day or so, temperatures are set to soar again into the weekend with highs of 45-50C possible across the interior. The record temperature of 51C set in 1960 could well be broken.

The intense heat, tinder dry conditions and brisk winds will exacerbate the already raging forest fires. Added to this, Cyclone Narelle is also set to make landfall on the northwest Cape by the weekend bringing gale force winds and thunderstorms.