Victoria is in a state of total fire ban, with Saturday forecast to be the hottest day on the Border or North East in almost 11 months.
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Gusts of 20 to 30 kilometres an hour have also been predicted.
The Bureau of Meterology forecast most Border and North East towns would reach 41 degrees on Saturday and 38 on Sunday, before temperatures return to the mid-30s.
It will be the first time the temperature jump over the 40-degree mark since February 10 last year, when the mercury spiked at 43.7 degrees.
A NSW’s Rural Fire Service spokesman said they were watching forecasts, especially wind levels, closely in areas of severe fire danger but no total fire ban had been declared yet.
Communities have already felt the impact of the impending heat with one small town’s big event, the Dederang Cup, abandoned for the first time in at least 63 years, due the weather.
A Victorian government Heat Health Alert issued for parts of the state urges residents to drink water and check on vulnerable people.
Forest Fire Management Victoria warned residents it is illegal to light a campfire on a total fire ban day.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer for the Hume Region Gill Metz said the region was expecting wind gusts up to 30 kilometres an hour across Saturday.
“Historically in the Hume region, we’ve had far too many bushfires caused by campfire negligence and this is placing the community, firefighters and the environment at risk,” she said.
“It’s critically important campfire safety is a priority.”
Already this year a number of unattended campfires were located and extinguished.
“Under the right conditions, anyone of these campfires could have become a bushfire and threaten lives, property and the environment,” Ms Metz said.
Ahead of the weekend, VicRoads warned motorists vehicles are more likely to break down, and incorrectly inflated tyres more likely to blow out in extreme heat.
The organisation asked drivers to be aware temperatures can rise to dangerous levels extremely quickly and a few minutes in a closed car enough to result in extreme injuries or death in pets and children.