Australia’s heatwave is expected to worsen after the country experienced its hottest day on record.

The national average temperature reached a high of 40.9C (105.6F) on Tuesday, beating the previous record of 40.3C set in 2013.

But this record could be eclipsed, as forecasters have predicted even more intense heat later in the week.

It comes amid a drought and bushfire crisis that has spurred criticism of government climate policies.

Temperatures were expected to exceed 40C in parts of Australia until the end of the week.

Parts of the state of New South Wales (NSW), of which Sydney is the capital, were forecast to hit temperatures in the mid-40s on Thursday. On Saturday, parts of Sydney were forecast to reach temperatures of about 46C.

Heatwaves are Australia’s deadliest natural disaster and have killed thousands more people than bushfires or floods.

Why is this happening?

Australia heated up this week as a mass of hot air swept east across the continent.

The dominant climate driver behind the heat has been a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) – an event where sea surface temperatures are warmer in the western half of the ocean, cooler in the east. The difference between the two temperatures is currently the strongest in 60 years.

The warmer waters cause higher-than-average rains in the western Indian Ocean region, leading to flooding, and drier conditions across South East Asia and Australia.

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Australia heatwave

Three day forecast: 19 / 20 / 21 Dec

Three day forecast: 18 / 19 / 20 Dec

According to the Bureau of Meteorology (Bom), Australia has warmed overall by slightly more than 1C since 1910, with most of the heating occurring since 1950.

Officials predict that 2019, on the temperatures recorded so far, will be among the four warmest years on record.

Bom has urged people to keep cool, drink lots of water and follow the advice of emergency services amid the latest heatwave.

What impact will the heat have on the fires?

Bushfires have been raging in Australia for months, killing six people, destroying hundreds of homes and burning millions of acres of land.

Officials have warned that the combination of high temperatures and turbulent winds could heighten the crisis.

“We are going to have a number of fronts that are going to fuel, or escalate the fires burning, but also the potential to have spot fires and embers travelling very long distances,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned.

A state-wide “total fire ban” has been put in place across NSW until midnight on Saturday. As of Tuesday, there were more than 100 fires burning across Australia’s east coast.

Emergency services in the state of Queensland evacuated residents from dozens of homes on Wednesday as they battled to contain an out-of-control fire.

“You need to be ready to follow your bushfire survival plan. If you do not have a plan, or intend to leave, you should be ready to leave the area because the situation could get worse quickly,” they warned.

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