Update, 13 January – The searing heatwave across southeastern Australia in early 2026 set the stage for an outbreak of bushfires in Victoria and New South Wales. The heatwave was one of the most intense on record as temperatures soared to 111°F (43.9°C) in Melbourne, Victoria and as high as 109°F (42.8°C) in Sydney, New South Wales. The hottest locations in Victoria included Wudinna, Tarcoola, and Walpeup, which recorded 48.2°C (118.7°F), 48.1°C (118.6°F), and 46.5°C (115.7°F), respectively.

After days of multiple fires at the highest level of Emergency Warning, today only 11 active fires remain, with all under the Watch and Act level or lower. More than 500 structures, including 180 homes, were impacted by the raging fires in Victoria alone as of January 12. One person, a cattle farmer, died in the Longwood fire.

The summer heat and long-term lack of rain has rendered vegetation dry and ready to ignite. By January 11, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image, many dozens of fires were burning across Victoria (south) and New South Wales (east).

The main highway connecting Sydney and Melbourne remains closed where several bushfires rage on the eve of brutal conditions forecast across Victoria for Friday 9 January.

Friday’s fire danger will be the worst across Victoria since Black Summer in 2019-20. Catastrophic and Extreme Fire conditions have been forecast across the state.

The Country Fire Authority’s Greg Murphy was direct in his summary of what the state was facing ahead after already experiences several days of intense heat and wind, with several houses already lost.

“Our job is to help people tomorrow. We might not be able to. That’s difficult to say, but it’s real.”

VicEmergency said that fire and weather conditions forecast on Friday will make bushfires burning in the north-central and northern part of the state extremely dangerous for people who live, work or are holidaying in these areas.

This time of the year is peak summer holiday season across southern Australia with beaches, national parks and forests crowded with holidayers from around Australia.

All national parks in the designated Catastrophic Fire Danger areas will be closed to visitors on Friday – this includes popular destinations in the Grampians, Otways, parts of the Murray and Goulburn Rivers, and many attractions on the Great Ocean Road. Events and holiday programs have been cancelled along with train and bus services in the most extreme regions.

The maximum of 42C (107F) on Wednesday is forecast to be repeated on Friday in Melbourne with high winds, with some regional areas as high as 46C (114F), stretching the limits of any bushfire suppression capabilities, with the high possibility of bands of thunderstorms and dry lighting crossing the state. New South Wales will get the same treatment into Saturday.

For up to date emergency information go to:

https://www.emergency.vic.gov.au/