Australian authorities issued a high bushfire risk warning in various areas of the huge Western Australia state on Sunday, as large parts of the country sweated through heatwave conditions, Reuters reports.

The nation's weather forecaster on Sunday issued heatwave warnings for the western state, the neighboring Northern Territory, and eastern Queensland, warning that temperatures in some areas might reach 45 degrees Celsius. 

Australia's east was this month scorched due to El Niño, a natural climate phase during which the sea's surface becomes warmer – especially in the tropical central and eastern part of the Pacific Ocean.

More than 20 bushfires were burning in Western Australia on Sunday, according to the state's emergency services agency. One of the uncontrolled ones was located close to Pemberton, a town with around 5,000 residents, about 320 kilometers south of the state capital Perth.

In the meantime, thousands of residents in Australia's eastern state of Queensland were without power on Sunday after wild storms lashed the region, local newspaper The Courier-Mail reported.

A total of 120 powerlines were reported down and 57,000 customers were without power, according to a spokesperson of Energex, an electricity company owned by Queensland government distributing power to 1.5 million homes and businesses in the southeastern part of the state.

Homes across Logan and parts of Brisbane could be without power on Christmas Day until at least midday with authorities warning residents to think of a back-up plan, the newspaper reported.

The Energex spokesman encouraged residents across the region to plan for the worst to ensure Christmas festivities run smoothly on Monday, such as considering generator use to keep refrigerators running.

The Australian ABC News broadcaster reported on Saturday that violent thunderstorms would likely hit eastern Australia during the Christmas period due to an unusual weather pattern.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: This frame grab from video footage taken and provided by Australian Broadcast Corporation shows firefighters in the suburb of Parkerville attempting to put out a bushfire, Perth, Australia, December 21, 2023. /AFP)