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The BOM said the last time conditions in NSW were this dangerous was in 2013. (Fairfax Media: John Veage)
The heatwave across the country is expected to worsen
over the weekend, with Rural Fire Services warning of potentially
catastrophic fire conditions.
The Bureau of Meteorology says New South Wales could face its hottest February day on record, as temperatures are expected to reach 47 degrees Celsius in western parts of the state.
The BOM said the last time conditions in NSW were this dangerous was in 2013.
"It is going to be very hot, particularly over the next couple of days," BOM forecaster Olenka Duma said.
Meanwhile, the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) said the state could experience severe and extreme fire dangers in widespread areas.
Wilcannia, Ivanhoe and the Hunter region are all expected to reach temperatures in the high 40s — along with Penrith and Richmond in Sydney's west.
In the ACT, emergency services have issued a total fire ban until midnight tonight ahead and authorities have warned they may also be forced to switch off electricity in parts of Canberra in a bid to avoid any disruptions to supplies.
Many of the territory's reserves and parks will be closed because of the fire danger, including Tidbinbilla nature reserve, Mulligans Flat and the Centenary trail, although many popular swimming areas will be open including the Cotter and Uriarra Crossing.
The BOM said the extreme heatwave was moving through the southern parts of South Australia and much of Victoria.
South-east Queenslanders are also in for a steamy few days, with temperatures rising up to 10 degrees Celsius above average across the region and through inland towns.
But energy researcher Simon Bartlett said the state's power grid was not under any threat during the heatwave as the high uptake of rooftop solar in the southern part of the state had reduced the overall load on the power network.
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