A burst of hot and windy weather will cause a spike in fire danger ratings across parts of southern and eastern states later this week, warned Australia’s Weatherzone.

Hot, dry air will sweep across parts of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales (NSW), Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) from Thursday into the weekend. Blustery, dry winds combined with a rise in temperatures will create the ideal conditions for bush fires.

Severe fire danger ratings have been forecast in seven districts across South Australia and northwest Victoria for Thursday, with fire bans in place for some areas. Parts of South Australia could see extreme fire danger ratings.

As the strong winds and hot air pass over South Australia, Adelaide is set to reach 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, and Melbourne in Victoria could hit 33C (91F), according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). This will be the hottest day for both cities in seven months and well above the usual October daytime highs.

Later in the day, there is a chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms in parts of South Australia, but with these storms comes the risk of lightning strikes.

On Friday, the fire danger increases across NSW and Queensland as the hot air shifts east, bringing with it a rise in temperatures. Parts of NSW are forecast to reach between 35C (95F) and 38C (100F), with 40C (104F) possible in the far west of Queensland.

By Saturday, severe fire danger ratings will be in place for eastern NSW and central Queensland.