Queenslanders have been warned they could face their third cyclone as a scorching heatwave in Australia brings temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius this weekend.
Six days after Cyclone Kirrily made landfall near Townsville, all 66,000 homes that lost power finally had electricity fully restored on Wednesday.
The focus of recovery efforts has shifted to the southeast, where hundreds of homes were flooded in the aftermath.
Roads were cut, schools closed, thousands lost power and hospitals were hit after heavy rain and thunderstorms swept through the Southeast on Tuesday.
The full extent of the damage may soon be revealed as disaster assessments are underway in Brisbane’s north after the rain has finally subsided.
However, more heavy showers may follow on Wednesday after a low has formed 250 km off the southeast coast.
It is expected to drift northeastward into the Coral Sea in the coming days and is unlikely to develop into a cyclone early next week.
The Bureau of Meteorology said one model suggested it could form a cyclone and drift back towards the coast on Tuesday evening.
“If it does, whether it’s a tropical low or a tropical cyclone, it could bring heavy rain to the east coast of Queensland late next week,” an agency spokesperson told AAP.
A heatwave will continue to bring extreme heat across Australia this weekend (photo, forecast temperatures for Sunday afternoon)
It would be the third cyclone to threaten the state this season, after Jasper hit the far north just a month before Kirrily hit the coast.
Former Tropical Cyclone Kirrily is still churning across the state’s northwest, causing widespread flooding, with more severe weather possible on the way.
“Usually you get one tropical cyclone and that will be for at least a few weeks,” the agency spokesperson said.
‘So it’s unusual for ex-Kirrily to hang around for so long, and then there’s another potentially interesting system.
‘It may not be until the second half of February that things calm down; there will likely be a few more weeks of possible increased tropical activity.”
Ex-Kirrily is located near Mount Isa and will slowly travel towards the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The chance that the Gulf will develop into a cyclone again is “very small.”
It is very likely to drift back south and pass through western Queensland from Friday, bringing heavy rain.
The weather forecast is dry for the time being in the flood-affected south-east as the country moves into recovery mode.
Meanwhile, a heatwave continues to cause sweltering conditions across Australia.
A heatwave of extreme to severe intensity is forecast in parts of northern WA, near Broome.
Severe to low heatwave conditions are expected across western and northern WA and the central and northeastern Northern Territory, as well as an isolated area over the Northeast. Queensland.
A low intensity heatwave will affect most remaining parts of WA, South East NT, parts of Northern SA, South and East Queensland including BrisbaneNorthern and Eastern New South Wales the ACT and far north-east Victoria.
The heatwave is expected to affect almost all states and territories, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius
Sydney
Cloudy conditions over Sydney are expected to develop to showers on Friday before partly clearing for a gray Saturday.
High temperatures in the city are expected to rise from a high of 28 degrees on Thursday to 32 degrees on Sunday.
Melbourne
Partly cloudy conditions in Melbourne on Thursday and Friday are expected to clear for a sunny Saturday.
Sunday looks set to be the hottest day in the city this week with a high of 34 degrees.
However, strong winds are forecast to bring a cool change to the city, with temperatures dropping next week.
Brisbane
Partly cloudy skies are expected to clear completely for a day of full sunshine over Brisbane on Friday.
Clouds will move over the city again on Saturday and Sunday, followed by rain early next week.
High temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius are forecast for next week, along with high humidity.
Canberra
Highs in the Australian capital are expected to remain below 30 degrees Celsius until the hottest day on Sunday, with a high of 35 degrees Celsius.
Fortunately, cloudy conditions are expected to persist over Canberra until next week, providing relief from the bright sunshine.
Western Australia will experience its worst heatwave, with extreme to severe conditions forecast in parts of the state’s north near Broome
Extremely warm conditions in Perth are expected to continue on Thursday after temperatures reached 44.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday (Photo: Wednesday’s recorded temperatures)
Adelaide
Adelaide is looking at a mostly sunny end to the week with clear skies on all days except Friday.
High temperatures in the city will rise steadily to a top of 35 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
Hobart
Strong winds of up to 50km/h will hit Hobart on Thursday and Friday, ahead of a sunny day on Saturday.
The showers will pass over the city on Sunday and will continue until the middle of next week.
Perth
Perth will experience extreme temperatures on Thursday and Friday, before easing slightly over the weekend.
On Wednesday, regions in the city reached 44.2 degrees Celsius, with a maximum temperature of 41 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
Friday will be hot again with a maximum of 37 degrees Celsius.
Making conditions even warmer, the sky above the city will be completely cloud-free.
High temperatures in Sydney are expected to rise from 28 degrees on Thursday to 32 degrees on Sunday
Darwin
Showers over Darwin on Thursday are expected to develop into storms on Friday and Saturday.
Highs are expected to remain around 30 degrees Celsius.