Summer heat is due to arrive early across much of eastern Australia with expected high temperatures and a total fire ban for one major city.
Potentially record early September temperatures are forecast for Brisbane and Sydney.
Maximum temperatures in Sydney during the first days of September are on track to match the city's midsummer average of 26.4C, warmer than any other start to spring since the Observatory Hill station opened in 1858.
Suburbs across Sydney are expected to reach up to 33C on Saturday afternoon, smashing average September records by up to 13C.
Meteorologist Tom Saunders said a gusty north-westerly airstream blowing south from the northern interior will lift maximums this weekend as much as 13 above the average.
The highest anomalies are set to impact the NSW coast.
"For Sydney, it's likely to be the hottest day this early in spring on record and for the first five days of September we're on track to average a top of 27 degrees that matches the midsummer average," he told ABC News.
"Temperatures this spring will average as much as three degrees above the baseline from recent decades, potentially the hottest spring on record."
The warm, dry and windy conditions will cause fire dangers to spike.A total fire ban is in place for the greater Sydney region, where extreme fire danger is forecast.
Across the border, southern Queensland will see temperatures peak in the mid 30s in another unseasonably warm start to September.
Australia's national council for fire and emergency services said fire authorities are predicting a heightened risk of fire across northern and southeastern NSW, south-east Queensland, northeastern Tasmania, parts of WA, SA and Victoria, and large parts of the NT.
Council CEO Rob Webb said the heightened risk of fire was driven by a combination of dry conditions in the east and increased fuel loads through parts of central and northern Australia.
"While some areas are facing an elevated risk of fire this spring, bushfires can still occur in regions with a normal seasonal outlook," he said.
