While this weekend has been on the chillier side, brighter and warmer days are ahead as a much-needed pattern change arrives tomorrow. Southerly winds will usher in temperatures climbing into the mid to upper 60s across the Ozarks.

Southern states continue to sweat through one of the most intense heatwaves on record, and for many regions, including Melbourne and Sydney, the hottest weather is still to come.

Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live coverage of the extreme heatwave sweeping large parts of Australia this week. Temperatures soared beyond 40C across South Australia and Victoria on Wednesday, with the gruelling heat to continue today.

But when a heatwave occurs, the long periods of higher temperatures may be too much for some animals to handle. Tens of thousands of bats have been killed in heatwave events across Australia. Some birds can only survive a single day of extreme heat before succumbing.

Multiple properties are feared lost to an out-of-control bushfire in central Victoria, as Australia's first heatwave of the year continued to bring high temperatures across the country.

"Seek a place to keep cool." Experts sound alarm as region suffers 'most significant' heatwave in years: 'Will affect everyone … even healthy people' first appeared on The Cool Down.

A severe heatwave, described as the most significant to hit south-eastern Australia in years, has descended upon the region.Temperatures have soared into the mid-40s, with Melbourne recording

For so long, the pounding sunshine of an Australian heatwave was the grid's biggest threat. It has now become its greatest asset.