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| Australia bushfires: total fire ban in NSW as heatwave temperatures forecast to soar – live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Weather records expected to fall as extreme heat moves across South Australia to Melbourne, Victoria and Sydney, New South Wales and fires continue. Follow latest updates | |
| Here’s how hot it was in Adelaide. The coolest it got overnight was 28.6C. | |
| And as of 9am, it’s already 35.6C. | |
| There is a total fire ban across the whole of NSW today, for four days. | |
| There are fire bans across eight South Australian districts, in the south and south-east; along the Queensland coast; and one in Victoria (Wimmera). | |
| NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is giving a press conference now on the heatwave conditions. | |
| “There is still an element of unpredictability, which is what concerns us,” she says. “Given the heatwave conditions on Thursday but worse on Saturday, we need everyone to be alert and mindful of the conditions.” | |
| Police and emergency services minister David Elliott adds: “The biggest risk to the people of New South Wales over the four days is complacency.” | |
| The Northern Territory and central Australia will bear the brunt of the heat today. The bureau’s forecast is a series of 45C and over, for nearly the whole region. | The Northern Territory and central Australia will bear the brunt of the heat today. The bureau’s forecast is a series of 45C and over, for nearly the whole region. |
| Titjikala and Wulungurru (Kintore) could reach 46C. | Titjikala and Wulungurru (Kintore) could reach 46C. |
| And on that note, listen to today’s Full Story Podcast – Is central Australia becoming too hot for humans? – or read the investigation from Lorena Allam. | And on that note, listen to today’s Full Story Podcast – Is central Australia becoming too hot for humans? – or read the investigation from Lorena Allam. |
| And fair play to their radio colleagues, who were also evacuated, and had to be a bit sneakier about it. | And fair play to their radio colleagues, who were also evacuated, and had to be a bit sneakier about it. |
| Yesterday, the bushfire smoke was so thick in Canberra it set off the fire alarm in the ABC’s Dickson studio – a few minutes before the 7pm news. | Yesterday, the bushfire smoke was so thick in Canberra it set off the fire alarm in the ABC’s Dickson studio – a few minutes before the 7pm news. |
| Undeterred, anchor Dan Bourchier and studio crew set up outside the building and broadcast from there. | Undeterred, anchor Dan Bourchier and studio crew set up outside the building and broadcast from there. |
| The lead item that night was, ironically, the smoke. | The lead item that night was, ironically, the smoke. |
| “This appears to be becoming the new normal,” Bourchier said. | “This appears to be becoming the new normal,” Bourchier said. |
| Good morning. Welcome to day three of this week’s coverage of the bushfire crisis and heatwave. | Good morning. Welcome to day three of this week’s coverage of the bushfire crisis and heatwave. |
| Today, we’re at the start of an extreme, national hot spell, coast to coast, that could smash all kinds of records. | Today, we’re at the start of an extreme, national hot spell, coast to coast, that could smash all kinds of records. |
| There’s a good chance the record for Australia’s hottest single day could be broken – either today or tomorrow. It currently stands at 40.3C, set in 2013. That’s for the average maximum temperature across the country. | There’s a good chance the record for Australia’s hottest single day could be broken – either today or tomorrow. It currently stands at 40.3C, set in 2013. That’s for the average maximum temperature across the country. |
| It’s forecast to hit 42C in Adelaide – the start of four days above 40C. Inland, it could be as high 47C in Oodnadatta and Port Augusta; and 43C in Alice Springs in the NT. | It’s forecast to hit 42C in Adelaide – the start of four days above 40C. Inland, it could be as high 47C in Oodnadatta and Port Augusta; and 43C in Alice Springs in the NT. |
| In Victoria, it will be 39C in Melbourne and 43C in Mildura, while it will be 43C in Wilcannia in New South Wales. | In Victoria, it will be 39C in Melbourne and 43C in Mildura, while it will be 43C in Wilcannia in New South Wales. |
| In Western Australia, it could reach 46C at Marble Bar and 43C in Kalgoorlie. In Queensland, Birdsville could reach 47C. | In Western Australia, it could reach 46C at Marble Bar and 43C in Kalgoorlie. In Queensland, Birdsville could reach 47C. |
| Stay with us for the latest heat and bushfire updates. | Stay with us for the latest heat and bushfire updates. |