And then also a quick look at Sunday as well, starting off with the national picture.
And as we head into the weekend, this high pressure system over eastern Australia will dominate conditions across much of the country.
So if you are in the south-east, the east or in the north, you can look forward to a sunny and warm Saturday.
This does include, for the start of the school holidays, the Northern Territory, Queensland, and also down in Victoria.
Really the only exception will be a few showers across the west coast of Tasmania and the north-east tropical coast of Queensland, but even then those showers are gradually easing through the day.
Showers also easing across Western Australia.
This cold front weakens off to a trough over the Southern Ocean and by the evening, we’ll see some cooler winds, but showers contract to the far southern coastline.
The rest of the country is looking mostly clear and dry as we head into Saturday night. This will continue into Sunday for many people.
Having a look at a state-by-state basis now, starting off with Queensland. We will see areas of fog in the morning across the east. Will lift quickly to a bright and sunny day.
Warm to hot in the south, reaching the high 20s to low 30s, and otherwise, we are expecting to see winds shifting more easterly, pushing showers onto the Cairns coast yet again, but gradually becoming more isolated through the day.
Temperatures reaching the low to mid 30s inland, with high fire dangers across the west and the north-west of the state. For Brisbane, a sunny day, very warm, top of 32 °C.
Up in Cairns, 27 °C. Showers becoming more isolated through the day.
Down in New South Wales, we’ll see areas of patchy fog west of the divide that will clear quickly to a sunny day across the state.
Maximum temperatures up to 5 degrees above average, up to 10 degrees above average across the south coast.
With those warm winds, elevated fire danger are expected, with high fire danger for much of eastern New South Wales.
Also for Sydney, going for a very warm and windy top of 28 °C, reaching the low 30s across western Sydney.
A cool start for Canberra 5 degrees, but a mostly sunny day to follow, with a maximum of 24 °C. Now to Victoria, we’ll see patchy areas of fog, mostly on and north of the divide.
That will clear off quickly with winds sweeping down from the west.
It will be quite breezy in the south, though, particularly along the coastline, but otherwise temperatures reaching the low to mid 20s in the south and the high 20s in the Mallee as well.
So for Melbourne, going for a top of 25 °C. Mostly sunny skies and bright conditions right across the rest of Victoria. Now to Tasmania.
We are expecting a mild but windy day.
We could still see areas of Severe Weather Warnings for damaging winds across elevated areas.
Showers in the west clear off, and we will see afternoon sunny breaks developing across much of the state. Temperatures quite mild for this time of year. Hobart, 19 °C.
Partly cloudy conditions and reaching the low 20s across northern parts of Tasmania. Now to South Australia.
We will see those northerly winds starting to pick up, bringing down hot air from the interior.
And for many places, including around the Ayr Peninsula, it will be the warmest day since autumn, with maximum temperatures up to 10 degrees above average.
A warm day Adelaide as well. Sunny, top 25 °C, reaching the high 20s to low 30s in the north.
Late in the day, we will see that trough pushing through into the far south-west corner.
Winds will shift cooler south-westerly, and those cooler winds extend across the rest of South Australia as we head into Sunday.
Now, of course, into the west and Western Australia, we’ll see areas of showers and storms in the morning, possible damaging wind gusts with storms in the south of the state.
Those storms and showers become more isolated, contracting away from the coastline.
We could also see an afternoon thunderstorm about the Eucla as well, but we’ll see some cooler winds behind that, partly cloudy conditions, and that cooler air will extend up into the Goldfields and the Gascoyne later in the day.
So for Perth, a couple of showers in the morning, then a dry and partly cloudy day to follow, 20 °C, and again quite a warm day across the Pilbara.
Finally, across northern Australia, we will still see those gusty easterly winds, but there will start to die down a little bit and fire danger ratings will start to subside, but we could still see a bit of smoke around with a few ongoing fires.
A couple of showers for the Gulf Coast and also skimming the northern coastline of the Kimberley. But warm day to follow, reaching the low 30s through the interior.
Darwin, top of 34 °C. Sunny conditions and the mid to high 30s are right across the Kimberley.
Now looking at Sunday, across the far south-east, temperatures rising into the high 20s for Melbourne and Hobart.
Another warm day on the way for Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane, but a little bit cooler for Adelaide with that south-westerly wind change coming through. Another mild day for Perth.
Couple of showers about the coast, 22 °C remaining very warm and mostly dry across the rest of northern Australia. That’s your forecast for today.
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