Australia's scorching summer will continue on Thursday following a day of extreme heatwave conditions which pushed temperatures in some regions to 80-year highs.
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Much of NSW baked in high intensity heat on Wednesday but worse is to come.
Record heat in South Australia moved into much of western and central NSW, which saw temperatures in the high 40s across much of those areas on Wednesday, a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman told AAP.
However the majority of the state is forecast to exceed 41C until Friday, something the Bureau says hasn't been experienced since the 1940s.
Whitecliff in the northwest, has recorded the highest temperature so far with 48.2C just before 3.30pm.
By midday on Wednesday, the mercury had soared beyond 45C across much of NSW's central west and at 3pm Wilcannia, Mulurulu, Ivanhoe and Hay topped 47C.
Sydney train commuters are meanwhile being warned there could be delays across the network as temperatures rise.
Extreme heat is forecast until Saturday for eastern NSW and the ACT, however a cooler change is expected for coastal communities in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania on Friday.
In South Australia, a record-breaking heatwave has seen 16 people with heat-related conditions present at hospital emergency departments in the 24 hours to Wednesday evening, with seven admitted for further treatment.
More admissions were expected with authorities warning health issues were more likely after several days of sustained hot weather.
Over the past three days maximum temperatures across South Australia have been running 10 to 14 degrees above average.
Some regional centres posted record highs on Tuesday, including Port Augusta and Tarcoola where the mercury climbed to 49C and 48.9C respectively, all-time highs for those areas.
Tarcoola is expected to reach 47C on Thursday.
While in Melbourne's CBD the mercury only reached 26.7C, elsewhere in Victoria reached the mid 40s.
In Mallee, Swan Hill reached 45.9C just before 5pm - just 0.3 degrees off the area's January record.
Mildura hit 45.4C and is expected to be almost as hot on Thursday.
In Queensland, Ballera and Birdsville both hit 45.3C after 2pm and Windora was 43.3C just after 4pm.
Australian Associated Press
