SOUTHEAST AUSTRALIA FACING MOST SIGNIFICANT HEATWAVE IN 6 YEARS: AUTHORITIES

MELBOURNE, Jan. 5 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Authorities on Monday issued a warning that southeast Australia is facing its most significant heatwave in six years, with maximum temperatures widely forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius, Xinhua reported.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) on Monday issued severe heatwave warnings for parts of the south and southeastern states of South Australia (SA), Victoria, New South Wales (NSW) and Tasmania, as well as the entirety of the Australian Capital Territory, due to a hot air mass moving east across the country.

According to BoM forecasts, the maximum temperature on Wednesday is expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius in Melbourne and Adelaide, the respective capitals of Victoria and SA.

In the national capital of Canberra, the maximum is forecast to exceed 35 degrees Celsius for four straight days from Wednesday, while the BoM is forecasting four consecutive maximums exceeding 30 degrees Celsius in Sydney.

Dean Narramore, a senior meteorologist from the BoM, said on Monday that temperatures across parts of Victoria, SA and NSW are expected to be up to 16 degrees Celsius above average.

"It's looking like the most significant heatwave for southeastern Australia since the summer of 2019-20," he told the Guardian Australia.

The BoM has warned that severe heatwaves can be dangerous for many people, especially older people, babies, pregnant women, and people with pre-existing medical conditions.

It advised people in the affected areas to seek a place to stay cool and use fans or air conditioners if available.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA