Australia swelters in record heatwave as temperatures soar to nearly 50C

A major heatwave gripping southeast Australia has brought record-breaking temperatures of close to 50C.

The rural towns of Hopetoun and Walpeup in Victoria registered preliminary highs of 48.9C which, if confirmed overnight, would beat records set on the day in 2009 when 173 people were killed in the state's devastating Black Saturday bushfires.

No casualties were reported from Tuesday's sweltering weather. But Victoria authorities urged caution as three forest fires burned out of control.

Melbourne, which is currently hosting the Australian Open, recorded its hottest day in nearly 17 years with temperatures exceeding 45C.

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Melbourne Park, where crowds usually gather outside the tennis tournament, dwindled to a ghost town as temperatures soared.

Fans at the event, which has registered record-breaking turnout days so far, dropped from 50,000 from Monday's daytime session to 21,000 on Tuesday as people heeded health warnings from officials and stayed at home.

Inside, organisers enacted extreme heat protocols, forcing closure of the retractable roofs over the main arenas and postponement of matches on the uncovered outer courts.

During the quarterfinal match between Aryna Sabalenka and Iva Jovic, the players held ice packs to their heads and portable fans to their faces during breaks in play.

On Monday, parts of New South Wales and South Australia hit record temperatures, some exceeding records set during a destructive summer of forest fires in 2019.

Many communities are still recovering from large bushfires at the start of the month, also triggered by a severe heatwave.

Chris Hardman, chief fire officer of Forest Fire Management Victoria, said six major fires were burning, with three out of control.

He said a fast-moving blaze in the Otways region was of most concern to firefighters, burning about 24,000 acres and destroying at least three properties.

"Firefighters did an incredible amount of work to try and contain that fire overnight," he told a news conference.

"But as the warmer weather and the inversion broke, some gusty winds came down and that fireground has spotted outside of its original containment lines."

Mr Hardman warned that strong winds up to 43mph forecast in the evening could further spread the blaze, threatening homes.

Emergency services have door-knocked about 1,100 homes and sent text messages to around 10,000 phones urging residents to leave the region.

Nathan Grayling, a butcher in the town of Ouyen, told ABC Radio that he would try to keep his business as dark and cool as possible, with most residents expected to stay indoors.

He said: "If we get everything done, we might knock off early and go down the local pub for a beer."

(c) Sky News 2026: Australia swelters in record heatwave as temperatures soar to nearly 50C