Looking at the weather map last night – basically, draw an arc from Perth across the top of the country and down the east coast past Sydney, and you’ll feel the heat coming off the map today. Many West Australians have already sweated through record temps of nearly 50C in some parts… And then there are the bushfires that took off yesterday… In Victoria, dozens of communities were under emergency warnings as fires took off in the state’s west near Ballarat. Beaufort has been evacuated, and while reports say conditions eased overnight, it continues to be tricky. And in Tasmania, Central Highlands communities were told to evacuate the small community of Dee. NSW and Queensland are bracing for a hot day with the mercury set to push 40C before thunderstorms roll in. The southern states have cooled off, and storms are expected in parts. Stay safe wherever you are, please…