Severe Christmas heatwave scorches WA as Tropical Cyclone Grant strengthens offshore
Tuesday's map of Australia shows a cyclone in the top left and no clouds over the west coast. (Supplied: Bureau of Meteorology)
In short:
Much of WA is experiencing temperatures in the high 30s and into the 40s, with the hottest weather this week forecast for Christmas Day.
The Bureau of Meteorology says locations likely to be impacted by extreme weather include Perth metropolitan area, Dwellingup, Geraldton, Gingin, Karratha and Yanchep.
What's next?
Temperatures are expected to cool down in Perth and other parts of the state from Boxing Day onwards.
Perth, and much of Western Australia, is in the grip of a severe three-day heatwave, while a cyclone has intensified far off the state's north-west coast.
Large swathes of the state are experiencing temperatures in the late 30s and into the 40s, with the hottest weather expected on Christmas Day.
The Bureau of Meteorology says locations likely to be impacted include Perth metropolitan area, Dwellingup, Geraldton, Gingin, Karratha and Yanchep.
A map of the three-day heatwave forecast for WA.
There are total fire bans in places surrounding Geraldton on Tuesday, where the fire danger is listed as extreme and the temperature forecast to reach 42C.
Bushfires likely
Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Craig Waters said the hot weather and gusty conditions would likely lead to increased bushfire behaviour.
Craig Waters says West Australians need to be on high alert for bushfires over the festive period. (ABC News: Grace Burmas)
"We need to consider that 93 per cent of the state is bushfire prone and bushfires can, and do, start anywhere in the state," he said.
"[So] be ready to act and put your emergency plan into action if you are impacted by a bushfire."
Mr Waters said two additional black hawk aircraft had been brought on for the high-threat period and would be based in Gingin to cover the northern corridor.
A seagull cools off at the beach in Perth on Tuesday. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)
"Obviously we need our boots on the ground to fully extinguish fires but our aerial assets do a significant role in pulling up fires," he said.
Last week, when multiple emergency level bushfires were burning in the southern half of the state, the Emergency WA website crashed and was not able to show any critical information.
Mr Waters said he was "hopeful that won't happen again".
"We worked with the software provider to put in some immediate action to make sure that that doesn't occur,"he said.
Grinch keeping cool
Kelvin Raynor, known locally as "Scruff", says he's not at all fazed by his town's 41C Christmas Day forecast.
Kelvin Raynor says he’s not fazed by Geraldton's hot weather. (ABC News: Claire Moodie)
"Doesn't worry me. I've worked in 55 degree heat," he said whilst mingling with Christmas shoppers on Tuesday, dressed in a warm Grinch outfit.
He's just retired at 67 and says he and his Shih Tzu dog, Molly, will be fine spending the big day at their unit which doesn't have air conditioning.
"I know how to handle the heat,"he said.
"We'll have the fans on, a couple of beers, she'll have plenty of water, that'll do.
"She won't be going outside, she'll be staying inside."
However, he has a message to anyone travelling on Christmas day on Mid West roads.
"Just make sure you got plenty of water," he said.
"These people go out on these trips and their cars break down and they walk away — don't leave your car."
Tropical Cyclone warning
Meanwhile, Tropical Cyclone Grant is set to impact the Cocos (Keeling) Islands as a category two system late on Christmas Eve or on the morning of Christmas Day.
Destructive wind gusts of up to 130 kph are expected if the cyclone's core passes close to the islands.
Heavy rainfall could also lead to flash flooding.
The cyclone formed on Tuesday morning as a category one system, about 400km east of the islands in the Indian Ocean.
Mr Waters said his team was also assisting the national emergency agency with its response to TC Grant.
Cocos Island residents are awaiting a signal to take cover, with cyclone shelters set up on both Home and West Islands.
Rose Cummins, the manager of the community resource centre, said the expected rainfall was a concern, even if infrastructure on the islands had been built to Australian cyclone standards.
"So [flooding] is probably one of the greatest risks besides, obviously, the gusts of winds and rain that's going to come in," she said.
"We're low-lying so we are very prone to flooding, so cyclone shelter on Home Island is on stilts and above ground, which is good and that should house the majority of the population.
"So you always hope for the best and plan for the worst, and I guess we'll see what happens. It's just the uncertainty of cyclones and you never know quite what they're going to do."
Perth can expect cooler temperatures from Boxing Day onwards, with a pleasant low of 14C for Saturday morning.
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