Bushfires flare as extreme weather bakes much of nation

Fire crews across Australia's east coast continue to battle extreme weather as multiple bushfires rage out of control.

Homes and properties in Victoria and Tasmania have been damaged after high temperatures and strong winds swept through the two states on Thursday.

It comes as communities across large parts of the nation face heatwave warnings, with an extreme alert in effect for the NSW south coast.

Victoria is on high alert for extreme fire conditions, with hot, dry, and windy weather expected on Friday afternoon.

Firefighters are working to contain the 370-hectare bushfire in Markwood, 280km northeast of Melbourne, which has impacted three properties.

Authorities are concerned northwesterly winds of 30?km/h, with gusts up to 70?km/h, could pick up on Friday afternoon, potentially increasing fire activity.

Firefighters in Tasmania are welcoming favourable weather conditions as they battle out-of-control fires across the state.

A watch and act warning was issued for the rural town of Dolphin Sands on the east coast, a community still recovering after losing homes in the 2023 bushfire.

The full extent of the damage remains unclear, although the fire service confirmed properties and structures had been lost in the Dolphin Sands area.

A watch and act warning has been downgraded at Glenlusk, northwest of Hobart.

Regional fire commander Simon Pilkington said crews would focus efforts on containing the Dolphin Sands and Glenlusk fires on Friday.

He said warnings for several other fires had since been downgraded due to a slight improvement in weather conditions overnight.

"Today's weather is expected to be more favourable for firefighting and we are confident we will make good progress," Mr Pilkington said.

Crews will continue to fight the blaze on the ground, but will also have the assistance of aerial resources.

Aircraft were grounded for a period on Thursday afternoon due to high winds, with gusts reaching up to 85km/h in Hobart.

An evacuation centre remains open at the Swansea Town Hall for residents affected by the Dolphin Sands fire.

A heatwave warning has been issued for parts of NSW, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Severe heatwave conditions are expected to peak in NSW on Friday and Saturday, with maximum temperatures reaching the mid-30s to low-40s.

Temperatures are expected to ease on Sunday.