Australia forecast to have summer of extreme heatwaves and floods

Australia will have a summer of extreme weather as heatwave conditions settle in much of the country over the next week while storms on the east coast may mean more floods in coming months.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast an extreme heatwave across northern Western Australia and the Top End in the next week, with severe conditions in Queensland and parts of New South Wales and South Australia.

Capital cities on the east coast will escape the worst of it through the week before getting hotter on the weekend.

Melbourne is expected to stay in the 20s for the rest of the week before rising to 35C over the weekend. Going into Saturday, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra are forecast to brush 30C, while temperatures are expected to spike to 37C on Friday in Adelaide.

With a heat dome forming over the centre of the continent, those inland are likely to experience even higher temperatures.

Dubbo is expected to reach 38C by next Saturday, while Broken Hill is forecast to reach 40C. In the Northern Territory, Katherine is predicted to hover around 41C for most of the week, with Alice Springs to reach 42C on Friday.

Temperatures may be pleasant in Perth, which is not expected to reach 30C this week, but Port Hedland in the Pilbara is predicted to hover at 40C all week before climbing as high as 45C on Sunday.