States from South Australia to Queensland prepare for temperatures above 40C as parliamentary inquiry examines power supply crisis

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Authorities have warned of health risks, catastrophic bushfire danger and possible power cuts as southern and eastern Australia faces several days of extreme heat.

Temperatures are tipped to rise as high as 48C in some parts of New South Wales, with total fires bans and extreme or severe fire danger warnings in place across most of the state.

Western Sydney was forecast to reach 44C on Friday, while the city centre was expected to record 38C, leading the Australian Energy Market Operator to forecast record demand for power between 4.30pm and 6.30pm and possible blackouts across the state.

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Electricity demand could jump by 50% in western Sydney, according to Endeavour Energy, which said it would place emergency crews on standby in case of network faults.

On Friday a Senate inquiry into the resilience of electricity infrastructure was due to question Aemo officials about the blackouts in South Australia.

Heatwave conditions across South Australia were likely to push the state’s energy network to the limit again on Friday, with demand for power among the highest on record.

The state dodged a second night of widespread power cuts on Thursday but the stress on the system was due to persist, with Adelaide and many parts of the state forecast to endure temperatures near or above 40C again on Friday.

On Wednesday up to 90,000 properties across Adelaide and parts of regional SA – more than double the original estimate of 40,000 – had their power cut when Aemo ordered SA Power Networks to reduce demand by 100 megawatts.

The latest blackouts prompted the state government to vow to go it alone in the quest for reliable and cheaper power.



Amid growing frustration with the operation of the National Electricity Market, the premier, Jay Weatherill, said all options were on the table and the government would take dramatic action to take control of the state’s energy future.

“We are going to make our own decisions, we are going to take control of our own future and our own destiny,” he said on Thursday. “It will be thoughtful, methodical policy-making but it will be dramatic and it will change the system and give us reliable, affordable and clean power.”



The NSW energy minister, Don Harwin, encouraged residents to save energy by turning air-conditioning up to 26C, adjusting fridge temperatures, switching off unused electrical appliances and turning off lights where it was safe to do so.

“The NSW government is doing everything we can to ensure a power outage is avoided but we encourage the community to reduce their energy use where possible,” Harwin said.

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The rural fire service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, urged residents in bushfire-prone areas to have evacuation plans in place and to keep track of the organisation’s website or the Fire Near Me app for updates.

“If the forecast eventuates we’re likely to see catastrophic fire danger develop in some areas including the Hunter,” he said.



Parts of Victoria and Queensland also expected temperatures into the low or even mid 40s on Friday.

Melbourne was expected to reach only a high of 28C but the state’s northern towns and cities were bracing for a heatwave, with 44C expected for Mildura, 43C in Yarrawonga, Swan Hill, Wodonga and Rutherglen and 42C in Cobram and Kerang.

A Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, Peter Newham, said conditions in northern Victoria classified as a “severe heatwave”, which was likely to last until a cool change on Sunday.

Ambulance Victoria’s state health commander, Paul Holman, reminded Victorians to “remain vigilant” during the coming days, keeping an eye on elderly people and young children, who are less able to regulate their body temperatures in extreme weather.

In Queensland very high temperatures were forecast for the southern interior and the south-east of the state at the weekend. Brisbane expected a high of 39C on Sunday, seven degrees about the city’s February average, while inland Birdsville and Charleville were again looking at temperatures in the mid-40s for most of the week ahead.