A South Australian policeman offers a drink of water to a koala at the side of the road
A South Australian policeman offers a drink of water to a koala at the side of the road in Adelaide January 16, 2014. Reuters

Australia is on the verge of sweltering heat wave as emergency fire service crews continue to fight raging bushfires in the western part of the country. The weather bureau forecasts higher temperatures for Western Australia, Northern Territory and some parts of New South Wales at near or above 40 degrees Celsius.

The heat wave warning comes at a time when Western Australia is currently experiencing one of the state’s worst bushfire seasons, BBC reports. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, a mass of large and slow-moving hot air moving over Western Australia is causing the heat to build.

The bureau predicted that severe heat wave conditions may spread eastward. The Northern Territory is expected to experience temperatures higher than the average during the weekend. The southern part of NSW and northwestern Victoria may likely be affected.

Meanwhile, authorities maintained the fire emergency warnings in Northcliffe, Western Australia as well as the alert for another bushfire raging further north near Boddington. The army has set up camp for hundreds of firefighters trying to control the fires.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has promised to help address the bushfires. The fire near Northcliffe has burned about 80,000 hectares of bush with a perimeter of more than 140 miles. Weather experts warned that the summer heat in much of southern Australia is expected to intensify in the coming days.

Simon Allen, a senior meteorologist in the bureau, said remote areas in Australia may experience record temperatures over the weekend and early next week. Marble Bar in Western Australia’s Pilbara has a record temperature of over 41 degrees Celsius now on its fifth day. The bureay said Gascoyne Junction will have similar temperatures.

Among Australia’s largest cities, Adelaide is predicted to endure the highest temperature ranging from 34 to 39 degrees. Melbourne residents may see temperatures of above 30 degrees for next week while those in Sydney get to experience the best of summer with little chance of rain, SMH reports. The western suburbs are expected to be a few degrees hotter.

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