This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A statewide code red has been declared in South Australia with the state in the grip of a forecast seven-day heatwave.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast maximum temperatures in Adelaide and most regional centres to stay above 35C until at least Saturday.

A cooler 29C maximum has been forecast for the city on Sunday.

The bureau says it will be the longest stretch of hot days this summer.

The forecast has prompted the state government to declare the code red which triggers the release of extra funds to provide services for the homeless.

“This means that homelessness agencies across South Australia will boost their services during the hot weather, including increasing outreach services, which will help people sleeping rough to keep cool and remain hydrated,” the human services minister, Michelle Lensink, said.

The minister has also urged South Australia to keep tabs on other vulnerable people they know during the hot spell, including those who are housebound, the elderly and frail and those with a mental illness.