Australia’s deadly bushfire emergency is set to continue on Saturday, as temperature records tumble and people are urged to delay travel

Australia is braced for another day of “catastrophic” fires on Saturday, with people urged to delay travel to holiday destinations, as soaring temperatures and strong winds led to further loss of life and homes on Friday.

The warnings come as Australian temperature records continued to tumble, with the country recording its three hottest days ever on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

In South Australia, one person died in a vehicle crash in the fire zone on Friday and another is unaccounted for, and four South Australian firefighters were treated for burns and smoke inhalation as the service was called to more than 120 fires.

Eight other people have been killed as a result of the fires during this fire season, which began well before the beginning of summer, including two volunteer firefighters who died as they were returning from fighting a fire near Buxton, south-west of Sydney, on Thursday night.

Geoffrey Keaton, 32, and Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, died when a tree fell into the path of their tanker, causing it to roll, as they were travelling in a convoy. Both men left behind partners and infant children.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Andrew O’Dwyer, left, and Geoffrey Keaton, who died when their truck rolled as they were returning from a fire. Photograph: Supplied Handout/EPA

“They’re ordinary, everyday individuals – like you and I – that go out and simply want to serve and protect and make a difference in their local community,” said the New South Wales rural fire service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons. “And they don’t ever go out in the knowledge that they might not come home from that shift.”

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South Australia had its worst fire danger day of the summer so far on Friday as a combination of extremely high temperatures – reaching close to 50C in some parts of the state – and strong winds were followed by huge thunderstorms, which presented the potential for thousands of lightning strikes that could ignite further blazes.

There were multiple reports of homes and other buildings on fire in the worst blaze, at Cudlee Creek.

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More than 100 fires are currently burning across NSW and half of them are not contained, including the “megafire” in Gospers Mountain, north-west of Sydney, that has been burning for almost two months and has so far destroyed more than 350,000 hectares.

Temperatures in much of NSW are expected to rise to the mid-40s on Saturday, which, combined with strong winds and intensely dry conditions, has led fire chiefs to warn people that fires could break out very quickly, destroying homes and endangering lives before emergency services could reach them.

“Do not put yourself in harm’s way tomorrow,” warned Rob Rogers, deputy commissioner of the NSW rural fire service on Friday. “We cannot guarantee to get firetrucks to you ... Don’t expect a fire truck, don’t expect a plane, don’t wait for a warning.”

Since this year’s fire season began, 800 dwellings have been lost in NSW alone, with fire chiefs warning it was inevitable that more homes would be destroyed on Saturday.

“I think that’s a fairly sure thing that we will lose homes somewhere tomorrow. It would be a miracle if we didn’t,” said Rogers.

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At a joint press conference, Rogers and the NSW police deputy commissioner, Gary Worboys, also issued stark warnings to people planning on driving around the state on Saturday, the first day of NSW’s summer school holidays, saying their fear was that people would become stuck in cars along highways in heavy traffic as fire fronts closed in.

“People should consider staying at home tomorrow and make their travel arrangements for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday,” said Worboys. “They still have time in terms of Christmas Day. Tomorrow will be a difficult day.”

Many of the fires burning around Sydney are in popular holiday destinations, including the Blue Mountains to Sydney’s west, the central coast to the north and the Shoalhaven and Illawarra regions to the south. Sections of key roads out of Sydney will be closed tomorrow.

Residents in four towns in Victoria were urged to leave their homes immediately on Friday as two bushfires raged out of control.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Smoke haze over Melbourne on Friday. Photograph: James D Morgan/Getty Images

Thick smoke also continued to blanket the east of the country, including Australia’s largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, on Friday, prompting health warnings for residents.

Political pressure on the prime minister also mounted on Friday, with Scott Morrison apologising for going on holiday while Australia was in the grip of an extended bushfire crisis.

“I deeply regret any offence caused to any of the many Australians affected by the terrible bushfires by my taking leave with family at this time,” Morrison said.

Morrison later confirmed the holiday was in Hawaii, seeking to explain the trip’s secrecy by suggesting he had tried to give his daughters “a bit of a surprise”, despite several reporters stating the prime minister’s office had denied reports he was in Hawaii after he and his family had arrived.

Michael McCormack has served as acting prime minister since Monday, declaring his hometown of Wagga Wagga was the nation’s capital, while Morrison copped bad press for his holiday.