Friday is set to be the hottest day of the week so far, with temperatures set to hit a maximum of 38 degrees Celsius inland.

Elsewhere, temperatures will rise to highs of 27 degrees Celsius on the west coast, 32 degrees Celsius on the south and east coasts, and 29 degrees Celsius on the north coast and in the mountains.

The skies will be sunny throughout the day, with clear skies also expected overnight.

Temperatures overnight are expected to drop to 22 degrees Celsius inland, 19 degrees Celsius on the west coast, 20 degrees Celsius on the rest of the coasts, and 18 degrees Celsius in the mountains.

High temperatures and blue skies will persist through Saturday, though clouds and isolated rain are forecast in the mountains for Sunday, with temperatures expected to remain stable until Monday at the earliest.