Severe weather warnings issued across Australia for destructive winds, sweltering heatwaves and floods

Residents across Australia have been urged to prepare for dangerous weather systems.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings in every state and territory as heatwaves and potentially “destructive” winds bear down around the country on Wednesday.

The mix of hot, dry and windy weather has led to the NSW Fire Danger Rating to be elevated to “extreme” for large swathes of the state’s south coast.

South Australia

The Bureau has issued a warning for “destructive wind gusts” across the state’s southeast as a low pressure system rapidly deepens to the south of Kangaroo Island in the morning.

Strong winds of up to 100km/h are expected on the island before the weather system travels east during the late morning, when conditions are expected to worsen.

Residents around the coastal town of