Wind, flooding and a heatwave are hitting Australia just days after cold winter temperatures. What’s it like near you?

Australia is in for a weekend of wildly changeable weather depending on where you are, with wind gusts, flooding and a heatwave possible just days after freezing winds hit the country.

The heavy winds are expected to hit the southeast of the country all weekend, prompting calls to be alert for falling trees and power lines and to avoid flooding.

Severe weather warnings with damaging winds have been issued for southeastern New South Wales, parts of the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, the south coast of South Australia and most of Tasmania.

But in Queensland, a winter heatwave could see the state break multiple temperature records, with temperatures in the south-west likely to reach 40 degrees Celsius.

Brisbane is expected to see sunny weather and a maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius this weekend. The Bureau of Meteorology said that maximum temperatures across the country, including Queensland, will be 5 to 16 degrees Celsius above the August average.

According to Pieter Claassen, a meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, temperatures on Friday and Saturday could break records, especially south of Townsville in the southeast.

Brisbane could also ‘come close to breaking their own August records’.

Birdsville is expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius, which could break the August temperature record of 38.4 degrees Celsius last week.

Australia is in for a weekend of wildly contrasting weather depending on where you are, with wind, flooding and a heatwave just days after the cold winter temperatures. People are pictured at the hot end of winter in Sydney on August 30

Intense winds are expected to continue battering the country’s southeast through the weekend, prompting people to remain alert for falling trees and power lines and to avoid floodwaters. Women sharing an umbrella walk in the rain along Hosier Lane in Melbourne

Ipswich, Boulia, Beerburrum, Dalby, Mt Isa and Longreach could also see record temperatures, with the warm weather likely to continue into next week.

The heatwave comes as vulnerable Victorians who rely on electrical life support equipment have been warned by energy supplier Powercor to have contingency plans in place as more devastating winds are expected to hit the country this weekend.

The power utility, which operates in western Victoria, urged its vulnerable customers to be “ready” and have plans in place in the event of power outages.

“Know what to do if the power goes out: charge your phones, laptops and other devices, know how to open your garage door manually and know where to go for information,” Peter Galey, head of network operations at Powercor, advised Friday.

“Make sure you are ready to activate your emergency plan if you rely on life support equipment or need electrical equipment to care for others. Also make sure you have water on hand if you rely on power.”

Two major power lines in Apollo Bay, Victoria, were badly damaged on Wednesday, but power was restored to customers on Thursday.

Generators have now been sent to the city as a precaution, as well as two field crew members

A winter heatwave could see Queensland (pictured) break multiple temperature records

Strong winds have blown down trees in much of southeastern Australia (see photo)

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jonathan How said Australia’s east coast was in for a “windy weekend” as three strong cold fronts moved in.

Due to destructive winds, high fire danger warnings remain in place across the Greater Sydney and Illawarra/Shoalhaven regions of New South Wales this weekend.

Winds will increase across much of southeastern South Australia, western Victoria and western Tasmania.

‘On Saturday we will see strong, potentially damaging winds spread across the rest of Tasmania, Victoria and south-east New South Wales. A second cold front will also move through, bringing winds to southern areas, with showers and rain to follow,’ How said.

However, the strongest cold front is expected on Sunday.

“This will lead to widespread destructive wind gusts across multiple states, as well as heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, hail and snow at low elevations,” he said.

‘We have damaging wind warnings in effect for four states and many of these areas have been experiencing damaging wind gusts all week.

Southeastern Australia is in for a ‘windy weekend’ as three strong cold fronts head our way

‘This could lead to further damage to trees and property, so I would like to remind people to keep an eye on the latest warnings for this weekend.’

A coastal danger warning has been issued for the southwest coast of Victoria up to Wilsons Promontory, as offshore waves could reach nine metres in height.

“There will be unusually high tides for parts of Gippsland. We’re really seeing waves increasing with this cold front coming through… waves increasing to five to six to seven metres offshore,” How said.

‘But then a stronger cold front moves in on Sunday, which could increase waves by up to nine metres off the coast of south-west Victoria and also western Tasmania. These dangerous coastal conditions are likely to persist into Monday.’