The Northern Territory will swelter, with Alice Springs around 42°C and Uluru near 43°C on Saturday.

Extreme fire danger is forecast for parts of Western Australia amid very hot conditions and strong winds, with warnings covering multiple listed areas.

Western Australia faces intense heat as a deepening heat trough raises dangerous conditions and ongoing bushfire concerns near Perth.

Capital city forecasts show a hot pattern: Sydney and Brisbane around 31°C, Canberra up to 39°C with possible afternoon storms, Melbourne around 26°C with showers, Adelaide about 32°C, Hobart in the upper 20s, Perth at 36°C and Darwin at 32°C with showers or possible storms.

South Australia’s northern and inland regions are expected to feel the worst heat, with forecasts up to 49°C on Saturday after a 50°C record in Port Augusta, continuing an eight-day heat stretch in some areas.

Inland regions are forecast to hit extreme temperatures, with high 40s and up to 50°C in places like Port Augusta, Marree, and Andamooka.

Aussies face a prolonged period of heavy rain and storms with flood warnings issued across western and northern Queensland and parts of the Northern Territory, as a monsoon low brings widespread rainfall.

In the Northern Territory, widespread rain and storms are anticipated, with rainfall totals in the 100-200mm range and the possibility of isolated higher falls.

Across multiple states, Australia is bracing for a severe heatwave and monsoon-related storms that will push temperatures higher and raise fire and flood risks.

Inland New South Wales faces extreme heat with mid-to-high 40s Celsius, and an extreme heat warning covers the Snowy Mountains, South West Slopes, and parts of the Central West and Riverina.

Cooling relief is forecast within 48 hours as southeasterly winds bring cooler air to southern and central South Australia, with Victoria’s north also expected to cool.

Perth will begin to cool from Tuesday, though heat risk remains in northern and inland parts of the state.