A heatwave over the weekend gripped New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Washington.

A heat wave is set to spread across the country this weekend, causing extreme conditions in four states.

The heat will extend from Western Australia, across southern Australia and into New South Wales and Victoria, according to the Met Office.

“The front pulls downward in hot, dry and windy conditions, which leads to higher temperatures.”

Maximum temperatures are set to range between 9 and 15 degrees above average in the four states on Saturday.

New South Wales is set to see peak temperatures on Sunday with temperatures reaching 32°C in the Sydney CBD and 39°C in Penrith.

Broken Hill and Burke will see temperatures of up to 41°C on Saturday and Sunday, while the highest temperatures will be in nearby Tipupura with highs of 42°C.

A BOM spokesperson said: “Some locations in New South Wales on Sunday could exceed the record maximum temperature for March, particularly in the Western and Western Ranges.”

Sydney could break a record of 165 years if it passes 30 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, Melbourne will reach 37°C on Saturday.

There are warnings that wildfires could become “uncontrollable” this weekend.

“Hot, dry and windy weather is a concern for inland areas in New South Wales and Victoria, with many fires still burning,” the spokesperson said.

“Severe fire hazards are forecast for Saturday in the eastern parts of South Australia and western and central Victoria.”

A change of cool is expected to bring some relief to parts of New South Wales and Victoria from Monday, although there is no chance of rain.

Warm conditions are still expected to continue across New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia throughout the next week.