The Bureau of Meteorology has warned people to check their weather forecasts as “really intense hot conditions” expected to break temperature records in some places in central Australia will give way to high winds, gales and hail in the country’s south-east on Sunday.

“We’re going to have a pretty active week, as we would call it,” said Miriam Bradbury, senior meteorologist. “There are a number of weather systems that are moving through South Australia.”

The warnings come as Australia has experienced one of the hottest August temperatures on record, with much of central and eastern Australia seeing temperatures 5-15 degrees Celsius above average.

Temperatures in Oodnadatta, in northern South Australia, reached 38.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday, making it the hottest August day recorded there since 1946. Temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius this weekend in Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia, 35 degrees Celsius in Alice Springs and 38 degrees Celsius in Birdsville, Queensland.

“Unfortunately, we expect conditions across central and northern Australia to remain very warm well into next week,” Bradbury said.

Capital cities along the east coast are forecast to be 8C warmer than their August average on Sunday, with Melbourne reaching 23C and Sydney 26C. The BoM is predicting a string of days above 30C in Brisbane from Monday.

“August is the month where we generally see the weather start to warm up a bit as we head into spring. But the duration of this heat and how intense it is is unusual for this time of year,” Bradbury said.

“I think most of us are really enjoying that first wave of warmer, milder weather after winter, it gives us a bit more energy, gives us a bit more hope. But it’s just worth bearing in mind where this is in the broader perspective … it’s still very early in the season to be seeing temperatures this high, and it’s even breaking records in some areas.”

Bradbury said it was difficult to make “decisive statements” about the impact of global warming on weather events like the “unseasonal burst” of heat currently being experienced across much of the country, especially while data from the winter of 2024 is still being collected. But she said “it’s worth noting that August is shaping up to be one of the warmest on record.”

Showers and widespread storms are forecast for most of Victoria, southeastern South Australia and southern New South Wales from Sunday. Strong winds, severe gales and large hail are also expected in parts of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales.

“It’s the wind risk that we’re looking at more closely now,” she said.

“We’re going to see these windy periods continue for a good portion of this week. So really, just a reminder to everyone, keep an eye on your forecast. Keep an eye on all the warnings that are coming out.”