Heatwave travel plans: how to adjust your itinerary

Heatwave travel plans start with one rule: check the Bureau of Meteorology heatwave forecast before you lock in a day. The Bureau issues heatwave forecasts for three days at a time, so you can see trouble coming and move your activities, driving and bookings early. This guide shows how to read the warnings and what to change.

The advice here is general. Always follow the local emergency services and the official warnings for the place you are in.

What the Bureau means by heatwave

The Bureau of Meteorology says a heatwave is when the maximum and minimum temperatures are unusually hot over 3 days. It compares those days with the local climate and past weather. A hot day alone is not enough. The night matters too, because cooler nights let people recover from the heat of the day, and hot nights make that recovery harder.

That is why a heatwave can be declared in a place that is not the hottest in Australia. The test is how unusual the heat is for that spot. Darwin and Hobart are judged against their own normal, not each other's.

Sources for this section: Bureau of Meteorology, What is a heatwave? (page dated December 2024).

Read the three levels

The Bureau groups heatwaves by intensity, using a measure called the excess heat factor. It compares the last three days with what is hot for that place, and with the past 30 days. In plain words, it shows how big a shock the heat will be to the body.

• Low intensity: frequent in summer. The Bureau says most people can cope.
• Severe: less frequent. These are harder for vulnerable people, such as older people with medical conditions.
• Extreme: rare. The Bureau says these are a problem for anyone who does not take steps to keep cool, even healthy people, and for anyone who works or exercises outdoors.

For a trip, treat low as a prompt to adjust and severe or extreme as a prompt to change the plan. Walkers, cyclists and anyone on a long outdoor day should take extreme warnings most seriously.

Sources for this section: Bureau of Meteorology, What is a heatwave? (page dated December 2024).

Where to check the forecast

The Bureau runs a Heatwave Service for Australia. Its page lets you pick a state or territory, shows whether a heatwave warning is current there, and lists forecasts for the next days in three-day blocks. Each block describes where conditions are low intensity, severe or extreme.

The page also links to each state and territory health department for heatwave advice. Check it the evening before and again in the morning, since the forecast moves as the days get closer.

Sources for this section: Bureau of Meteorology, Heatwave Service for Australia.

Shift your activities

Move the effort to the cooler hours. Plan walks, bike rides and sightseeing for early morning, and leave the middle of the day for shade, a museum, a cinema or a pool. Keep the evening for a short, easy outing.

• Swap long outdoor days for indoor stops while the heatwave lasts.
• Cut the distance of any walk and carry more water than you think you need. Our day walk packing list covers the basics.
• Keep your plans loose. Choose bookings you can move, and ask about change rules before you pay.
• Remember the Bureau note on outdoor work and exercise: the risk is higher for anyone outside for long hours.

Sources for this section: Bureau of Meteorology, What is a heatwave?

Plan around fire bans and ratings

Heatwaves often arrive with high fire danger, so check fire information as well as the temperature. Fire services publish a Fire Danger Rating for each area. The NSW Rural Fire Service says the rating shows how dangerous a fire would be if one started. At Extreme it tells people to reconsider travel through bush fire risk areas. At Catastrophic it says to leave bush fire risk areas, going to a safer place early in the morning or the night before.

A Total Fire Ban is a separate call. In Victoria, the CFA Chief Officer declares a ban on days of heightened fire danger to reduce the risk of a fire starting. The CFA notes it may declare one even where the rating has not reached Extreme, and that breaking a ban can bring heavy fines and even imprisonment. On a ban day, do not plan a campfire or barbecue until you have checked the rules for that state and area.

Plan to be flexible. If a camp, a drive or a walk sits in an area with a high rating, have a second option in a town. Our bushfire season travel guide goes deeper on this.

Sources for this section: NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire Danger Ratings (page dated December 2024); CFA Victoria, About Total Fire Bans.

Adjust driving and bookings

Long drives in a heatwave need more care. Start early so you finish before the hottest part of the afternoon, and break the journey into shorter legs with planned stops in towns. Fill the tank before the road gets remote and carry spare water for everyone in the car. Never leave children or pets in a parked car.

When you book, favour places with air conditioning and shade, and keep a night in hand at the end of a trip in case you need to stay put. If a Total Fire Ban or a high rating affects your route, check the fire service website before you leave and again at your last stop.

If a severe or extreme heatwave is forecast for your whole route, the simplest fix is often to move the trip by a few days. Ask your accommodation about its change policy at the time you book, not after.

Sources for this section: Bureau of Meteorology, Heatwave Service for Australia; CFA Victoria, About Total Fire Bans; NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire Danger Ratings.

Sources

1. Bureau of Meteorology, Heatwave Service for Australia: bom.gov.au
2. Bureau of Meteorology, What is a heatwave?: bom.gov.au
3. NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire Danger Ratings: rfs.nsw.gov.au
4. CFA Victoria, About Total Fire Bans: cfa.vic.gov.au