Severe winds and gale-force gusts are buffeting Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria, while Queensland is sweltering in near-record temperatures after the nation's outback interior roasted during the week.
Gusts of up to 110km/h are likely in Tasmania, potentially reaching 125km/h in parts.
Severe Weather Update: Damaging winds continue in south-east Australia. — Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) Video current: 1pm AEST Saturday 31 August 2024.Know your weather. Know your risk. For the latest forecasts and warnings go to our website https://t.co/4W35o8i7wJ or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/KPpPNoKJQlAugust 31, 2024
A 156km/h gust was recorded in the state's northwest on Saturday morning.Â
On the south coast, Maatsuyker Island recorded a gust of 165km/h, about as strong as a category three tropical cyclone, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Senior meteorologist Alex Melitsis warned strong winds were expected to return with force after a brief lull, threatening further damage.Â
"We're very used to strong winds at this time of year but this is quite a rare event ... and we'll see impacts and damage tonight that we don't usually see," he told reporters on Saturday.
Flooding also remains a danger after heavy rain in recent weeks.
"The catchments are quite saturated and we're starting to see some pretty strong river rises and flows," Mr Melitsis said.
Tasmanian SES executive director Mick Lowe said volunteers had responded to 167 requests for assistance since Wednesday.
He urged the public to monitor conditions, avoid floodwaters and prepare for further strong winds.
Flood warnings are in place for several rivers in Tasmania as wild weather continues. (Ethan James/AAP PHOTOS)
"It's going to be a really dangerous period we're coming up to over the next 24 hours," he said.
Several rivers in Tasmania threaten moderate flooding that could cut off main roads and isolate or inundate nearby homes.
Residents in the north of the state have been advised to monitor conditions with flooding along the North Esk River in Launceston, as well as on the Meander River to the city's west.
Further south, similar warnings are in place along the River Derwent, with moderate flooding likely in Meadowbank and Macquarie Plains, northwest of Hobart.
Power operator TasNetworks has reconnected about half of the 12,000 customers who experienced outages on Saturday morning but thousands remain disconnected.
"We need our customers to be prepared to be without power for extended periods," TasNetworks told AAP in a statement.
"Especially in the northwest where our crews are dealing with extensive wires and poles down, along with trees on lines."
Across the Bass Strait in Victoria, damaging winds continue in the south  after power was restored to more than 20,000 customers in the state's centre and west following destructive winds during the week.
In Queensland, winter has ended with unseasonably warm temperatures nearing 40C in the state's west.
🥵 Forecast temperatures in southern and western — Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) #Qld are up to 15 degrees above average again today. Max temps could approach 40C again in the west and 36C in the southeast. Check the website and app for the latest forecasts: https://t.co/gryp56lqPV pic.twitter.com/GXsJuvFRSvAugust 31, 2024
A top of 34C was forecast in Brisbane, nudging an August record 35.4C, but parts of the city could reach up to 36C.
Queensland recorded its hottest August day on Friday at Birdsville, near the SA border, with a top of 39.7C.
Warmer-than-usual temperatures are likely to continue around Australia in spring following above-average temperatures in winter, with August expected to have been the nation's warmest on record.
Several heat records fell in the final week of the month including Australia's hottest winter temperature - at Yampi Sound, northeast of Broome in WA.
The 41.6C high on Monday eclipsed a 41.2C record also set in WA in August 2020.
A top of 40C in the NT's northwest on Monday set a new August record there too.Â
SA had its hottest August day on August 24 when the mercury reached 39.4C at Oodnadatta - almost 3C higher than a record set in 1946.
6°C