Key Points
- Heatwave conditions are expected to persist until Wednesday.
- Melbourne is expected to hit a top of 37C on Monday.
- Adelaide's weather is forecast to peak at 38C.
- Festivals in Victoria and South Australia have been forced to cancel due to the heat.
Southeastern Australia is set to sizzle for another day as a record-breaking autumn heatwave rolls on.
Melbourne is expected to bake on Monday, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a top of 37C after a low of 24C.
Hot weather is predicted across most of Victoria, with temperatures in the mid to high 30s likely.
Adelaide is also forecast to swelter, with the state's capital tipped to peak at 38C after an uncomfortable overnight minimum of 27C.
Hot conditions in the high 30s and low 40s are forecast for most regional areas in South Australia.
The bureau warns the heatwave conditions will persist in parts of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania until Wednesday.
Authorities have issued a total fire ban for Monday for much of SA and in Victoria's southwest.
Heatwave warnings have been issued for parts of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania. Source: AAP / Con Chronis
It followed a record-breaking Saturday night in the Victorian capital, with the mercury hovering about 30C until Sunday morning, when it dropped to 27.3C - toppling the previous March record-high minimum temperature of 26.5C in 2013.
Hobart was also stifling on Saturday night, with a minimum temperature of 24C, well above the previous March record of 21.1C.
In SA, Adelaide recorded a top of 38.8C on Sunday as the mercury soared into the high 30s and 40s across most of the state.
Festivals and events cancelled
Extreme conditions on Saturday forced event organisers to cancel some outdoor festivals and parades.
Melbourne's famous Moomba Parade was for performers and spectators.
The Pitch Music and Arts Festival in southwest Victoria was called off on Sunday after authorities earlier warned patrons yet to arrive on site to stay away.
A 23-year-old man was airlifted in a critical condition to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital Hospital after becoming unresponsive at the festival in the early hours of Sunday. He later died.
One of the stages at Adelaide's WOMAD was closed on Sunday due to the heat, while a handful of other events were postponed until late at night or cancelled.
