Thomas Saunders

Another heatwave is predicted across Australia this week, as the weather bureau confirms the nation just sizzled through its hottest spring on record.

A cloudband extending 4,000 kilometres from the Top End to Tasmania will produce intense downpours during the last days of spring – threatening to bring areas of flash and river flooding to multiple states and territories, with other capital cities in the firing line.

Parts of the state are on track to swelter through five consecutive days above 35C, with the NSW government receiving reports that the electricity grid could be under pressure.

The thundery finish to spring is not just random weather variability, but a likely indication of the probable weather patterns through December.

Thunderstorms and torrential rain have hit across Australia this week, with forecasts suggesting this weather could continue through this week and to the end of the year.

Much of Australia is baking through the hottest spring weather in years this week as temperatures surge as much as 13 degrees Celsius above average.

The race to the White House this year between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is a classic case where the atmosphere could be the decisive factor, with a band of heavy rain and thunderstorms forming from Texas to Canada, which is predicted to bring a swathe of severe weather during the next 48 hours over multiple states.

According to a handful of new research, the number of low-pressure systems around Australia is decreasing, bringing predictions of a future, dryer climate.

A spell of wild weather is on the cards for everywhere from Queensland to Tasmania, with thunderstorms forecast to sweep across Australia's east over the next 48 hours.

Australia is facing one of the hottest summers on record according to the Bureau of Meteorology's weather modelling which tips well above average temperatures across the country.