18h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 2:20amStay up to date with the latest emergency warnings
ABC Emergency will broadcast regular warnings on ABC Radio. You can find more information, including a map of all the warnings, here.
For warnings in Victoria, visit the VicEmergency website.
For South Australia, visit the SA Country Fire Service.
12h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 8:58am
We’re going to end our live coverage here
Thanks for joining our coverage of the heatwave and bushfire situation across the country.
We’ll leave the live blog here, but will keep bringing you major updates via the ABC News website.
Otherwise, here’s how you can stay up to date:
- For the latest warnings, visit the ABC Emergency website.
- ABC local radio is also providing regular updates — find your local broadcaster here.
- For warnings in Victoria, visit the VicEmergency website.
- For South Australia, visit the SA Country Fire Service.
- And for Western Australia, visit EmergencyWA.
Here’s a recap of the day:
12h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 8:27am
SA donut shop closes for heatwave
A donut shop in South Australia’s Barossa Valley has closed for three days, as temperatures in the region are forecast to sit in the low 40s.
Owners Rachel and David Brown said the intense heat could affect worker wellbeing and foot traffic on the tourist strip, as well as degrade the quality of their donuts.
“If it’s too hot, the dough rises too quickly and it’s not [to] our standard, so we don’t want to put out a subpar product for the sake of it,” Ms Brown said.
Rachel and David Brown have made the call to shut down their donut shop during the heatwave. (ABC News: Stephen Opie)
Mr Brown said as small business owners, the closure was not a decision they made lightly.
“Having to close for three days has a massive impact on us as well, but it’s just something that we just felt like was the right decision to make … we just hope everyone stays cool and stays safe in these couple of days because it is almost unprecedented, this heatwave,” he said.
The donut shop in SA’s Barossa Valley closed in the heat to protect staff’s wellbeing. (ABC News: Stephen Opie)
12h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 8:19am
Further warning issued for Longwood fire
The warning for the Longwood fire in Central Victoria has extended further south.
There’s now a Watch and Act warning for Caveat, Dropmore, Highlands, Terip Terip and Yarck.
Authorities say the blaze is not under control yet, and embers are starting small fires ahead of the main fire.
Residents of these areas should prepare to leave.
An emergency warning is still in place for Avenel, Longwood, Longwood East, Ruffy, Tarcombe, and Upton Hill, where residents have been told to shelter.
12h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 8:06am
WATCH: Firefighters battle blaze on Sunraysia Highway
Cathy and Rob were on their way to Ballarat earlier today when they found themselves in the midst of a bushfire.
This video captures the moment the couple were forced to reverse course near Stuart Mill:
Loading…13h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 7:54amEmergency-level bushfire warning issued in WA
An emergency-level bushfire warning in High Wycombe and Maida Vale, about 27 kilometres from Perth city, has been issued, according to WA’s fire authorities.
EmergencyWA has urged people in an area bound by Brand Road, Sultana Road and Roe Highway in parts of High Wycombe to take shelter as the fire “has impacted evacuation routes”.
“You must shelter before the fire arrives, as the extreme heat will kill you before the flames reach you,” the authority said in the warning.
You can read more here:
13h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 7:47am
Beach goer not worried about SA’s algal bloom
Leo Kreca, 14, enjoyed clear waters at Brighton Beach today, saying he wasn’t concerned about SA’s algal bloom.
“We’re so lucky to have these beautiful beaches,” he said.
“It’s a community here. Everyone has got music going. There’s lots of people, they’re friendly. It’s a pretty good environment.”
Leo Kreca says he isn’t worried about the algal bloom. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
In recent weeks, Karenia algae cell counts have remained low or at zero in metropolitan beaches.
Authorities have told beachgoers to check daily conditions using the Beachsafe app or website.
Leo Kreca was at Brighton beach in Adelaide as temperatures hit 43C in parts of the city. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
13h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 7:39am
Zoo animals cooled with ice blocks as heatwave hits Canberra
As Canberra braces for high temperatures this week, animals at the National Zoo & Aquarium are being kept cool with a little extra care.
Temperatures in the nation’s capital have reached 35C today and are forecast to climb to 38C from Thursday through to Saturday.
(ABC News: Lois Maskiell)
At the zoo, staff treated five black-and-white ruffed lemurs to large fruit-based ice blocks to help them cope with the heat.
The zoo is also home to ring-tailed lemurs, and both species native to Madagascar’s rainforests are critically endangered.
(ABC News: Lois Maskiell)
Zookeepers are also using misting systems across enclosures to help reduce heat stress during the warmer months.
Overnight temperatures are expected to ease slightly, with lows of between 18C and 21C.
13h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 7:29am
Tabilk grassfire is now under control
A warning for a grassfire at Tabilk in central Victoria has been downgraded.
Authorities say the fire is now under control.
An Advice message is now in place for Mangalore, Mangalore West, Mitchellstown, Nagambie, Northwood and Tabilk.
Residents are being told there is currently no threat, but they should stay informed and monitor conditions.
13h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 7:19amEmergency warning issued for more towns near central Victorian fire
An Emergency Warning has been issued for Caveat, Dropmore, Ruffy, Tarcombe, Terip Terip.
This is related to the Longwood fire in central Victoria, where an Emergency Warning has been in place for Longwood, Longwood East, Ruffy, Tarcombe and Upton Hill.
The bushfire is travelling from Hume Freeway in a south-easterly direction towards Ruffy.
Residents are being told leaving immediately is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous.
13h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 7:05amVictorian paramedics called to child locked in car amid workload increase
Ambulance Victoria says it has seen an average 12 per cent increase in workload across the state today, including a 41 per cent increase in workload demand between 4 and 5pm.
“As the temperature rose, Ambulance Victoria paramedics were called to an increased number of cases relating to breathing difficulties and heart related concerns, including chest pain and cardiac arrest,” a spokesperson says.
“Alarmingly, paramedics were also called to a child locked in a car this afternoon.”
The spokesperson says staying hydrated, finding a cool place to stay such as a shopping centre or a home with air conditioning, and wearing a hat and sunscreen are all ways to reduce heat-related illness.
14h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 6:49am
Dozens of regions record warmest day in years
Most locations have now reached their maximum temperature for today, and dozens of regions have recorded their warmest day in years, including:
Victoria
Melbourne 41.0C — hottest day in 6 years
Geelong 43.3C — hottest day in 6 years
Warrnambool 41.3C — hottest day in 7 years
Laverton 43.1C — hottest day in 6 years
Avalon 43.6C — hottest day in 6 years
SA
Mt Gambier 41.6C — hottest day in 5 years
Edithburgh 44.5C — hottest day in 5 years
Whyalla 45.8C — hottest day in 7 years
Port Augusta 46.3C — hottest day in 7 years
Port Lincoln 44.5C — hottest day in 7 years
14h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 6:38am
Photos show smoke near Longwood fire
The fire at Longwood in northern Victoria is still at emergency level and not yet under control.
The bushfire is travelling from the Hume Freeway in a south-easterly direction towards Longwood-Ruffy Road.
Smoke is visible in the distance for residents in Longwood, in Victoria’s north. (Supplied)
The State Control Centre says there are five aircraft performing water drops.
The town and residential area are away from the fire, but smoke is visible to the community.
These photos were taken from the end of Hill Street in Longwood near the White Hart Hotel.
For warning updates visit VicEmergency.
An emergency warning is still active for the Longwood fire. (Supplied)
14h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 6:17am
More on possible catastrophic conditions in Victoria on Friday
As detailed earlier, Victorian authorities are now expecting catastrophic fire danger ratings in the state’s Wimmera, Northern Country and North Central regions on Friday.
A statewide fire ban is now likely on that day, according to emergency services.
The State Control Centre says the safest option for people living or holidaying in bushland areas covered by the potential catastrophic fire risk is to leave by Friday morning at the latest.
“A catastrophic fire danger rating means fires are unpredictable and uncontrollable,” Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said in a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon.
“We need the community to play their role alongside our emergency services to protect lives and property.”
14h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 6:10am
Power network ‘holding up relatively well’
South Australia’s power network is said to be coping as parts of the state swelter through temperatures well into the 40s.
Cecilia Schutz from energy supplier SA Power Networks told the ABC News Channel that additional crews had been freed up to assist with any heat-related outages.
“The electricity network is much like the human body in a sense. When it’s operating at capacity under a lot of heat, it can encounter strain,” she said.
“It is common to see — several days into an extreme heatwave — there can be challenges for infrastructure.
“That being said, at the moment the network is holding up relatively well in South Australia.”
About 4,500 Victorian customers were without power at about 5pm, according to an outage tracker, most of them in the state’s east.
15h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 5:40am
Victorians urged to prepare
In their press conference this afternoon, authorities urged Victorians to prepare for Friday’s extreme fire conditions.
That includes:
- Downloading the VicEmergency app
- Updating your bushfire plan
- Ensuring access to multiple sources of emergency information.
ABC Emergency has more detailed bushfire preparation tips here:
15h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 5:35am
Bitumen melting like ‘blood’ in SA
It’s about 45C in the South Australian town of Port Augusta today, and the temperature is due to hit 47C tomorrow.
Mayor Linley Shine is no stranger to the heat.
She told NewsRadio’s Laura Tchilinguirian what happens to the road when the temperature soars.
“The bitumen melts,” she said.
“They call it like a blood … it sort of goes to a blood dripping on the roads.”
15h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 5:30am
Catastrophic fire danger forecast for Friday in Victoria
The Country Fire Authority has raised its fire danger rating to catastrophic for three districts in Victoria on Friday.
The Wimmera, Northern Country and North Central districts are rated as catastrophic, the highest level of fire danger.
All other districts in the state are currently rated for extreme fire danger.
The latest fire danger warnings in Victoria (Country Fire Authority)15h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 5:23amFires south of Canberra brought under control
Four fires in Namadgi National Park, south of Canberra have been brought under control by firefighters ahead of the peak of this week’s heatwave.
The ACT Rural Fire Service says there are no longer any flames present and three of the four fires are no longer showing any hot spots.
The blazes, which affected a combined 13 hectares, were started by lightning when the national park received more than 7,000 lightning strikes during weekend storms.
Namadgi National Park (ABC News, file photo)
In 2020, a Defence helicopter accidentally started a blaze in the national park, which burned for five weeks and destroyed 80 per cent of wilderness area.
The fire also crossed the border into New South Wales, destroying homes and farms in its path.
15h agoWed 7 Jan 2026 at 5:15am
Fire near Tabilk still not under control
A spokesperson for the State Control Centre says flames at a fire in Tabilk in central Victoria are reaching approximately two metres high.
Firefighters responded to the grass and scrub fire about 2.22pm today which has burned approximately 10 hectares.
Crews arrived to find a grass fire spreading slowly.
Firefighters have so far slowed the spread of the fire. (VicEmergency)
The fire has jumped the creek and is not yet under control.
Aircraft are supporting more than 25 ground crews from CFA and FFMVic.