High fire danger warnings put in place across Queensland, NSW, NT and WA

High fire danger ratings have been issued across the country as high temperatures and strong winds are forecast. The Greater Sydney Region, Illawarra/Shoalhaven and the South Western region in NSW all have high fire danger ratings in place on Friday, as the temperature is tipped to hit a high of 30C. Moderate fire danger ratings have also been issued for much of the state, with northwesterly winds of 20-30km/h forecast across Sydney. Queensland’s Central West, North West, High and Channel Country have also been hit with high fire danger ratings on Friday, as well as the Northern Territory’s Darwin and Adelaide River, Simpson East and Lasseter East. In Western Australia, Ashburton Inland, Ashburton Coast, Exmouth Gulf Coast, West Interior and Central Interior have been issued high fire danger ratings on Friday. However “normal fire potential” is expected across NSW heading into spring, according to the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services spring seasonal bushfire outlook. “Average to above-average rainfall in winter largely prevented prescribed burning across NSW,” the report stated. “Due to the existing and forecast wet conditions, normal fire potential is predicted across the state for spring.” ACT, Tasmania and WA are also tipped to experience normal fire potential; however, the far west and southwest parts of Victoria are expected to have an increased risk of fire. Above average to extreme temperatures in South Australia are set to increase the risk of fire, while grassland fires are predicted in the early months of spring across Queensland. Increased fire risks are also predicted for Alice Springs, Barkly and Savanna fire management zones in the Northern Territory, as “vegetation is drying quickly and fires are carrying overnight”. Communities have been urged to stay alert, prepare their properties and ensure fire management plans are up to date and in place. Melbourne is set to reach a high of 24C on Friday, with rain and showers expected over the weekend. Brisbane is expected to hit a maximum of 29C on Sunday, while Perth is set to reach 21C on Sunday. Adelaide is set to reach 20C on Friday before dipping to a high of 18C across the weekend with possible showers. Hobart is expected to drop from a maximum of 19C on Friday to a maximum of 15C on Sunday. Canberra’s maximum temperatures will drop from 24C on Friday to 18C on Sunday. Darwin is expected to hit a high of 34C on Friday before rising to a top of 36C on Sunday. Adelaide is set to drop from a maximum of 20C on Friday to 18C on Sunday.