Northern Australia is bracing for a severe heatwave this weekend, prompting health officials to advise residents to stay indoors. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings due to concerns about an increase in heat-related illnesses.

Jenny Sturrock from the Bureau explained, "We are seeing a huge bubble of hot air just lingering. When we're getting many hot days followed by hot nights, that's really increasing the heat stress, and we've seen that reflected in our heat wave warnings."

Earlier this week, Birdsville, a town in Queensland's outback, recorded a staggering temperature of 46.1 degrees Celsius, breaking previous October records. Sturrock noted that daytime highs and nighttime lows are currently three to eight degrees above the seasonal average.

"Right through the weekend, we're not seeing anything too significant to make a big dent in that," she added. However, relief is expected next week, with temperatures forecast to drop starting Tuesday.

In the Northern Territory, Katherine is expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius on Friday, with a decrease to 34 degrees by Wednesday. Similarly, Emerald in central Queensland is predicted to hit 41 degrees on Friday, but temperatures will fall by 12 degrees to a high of 29 by Tuesday.

The Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service is urging the public to be cautious and remain indoors when possible. Public health doctor Renata Vasta warned that hospitals may see an increase in heat-related cases. "Certainly in those high-risk groups, where people haven't been aware that they have needed to increase their hydration in these periods, so there is an increase in presentations," Dr. Vasta said.

The health service is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to bring in additional staff if necessary.

At Rockhampton Zoo, staff are taking measures to keep animals cool during the heatwave. Curator Tegan Gargett mentioned that the zoo has been using icy treats, misting systems, and sprinklers. "We've recently gotten a couple of new chimps from Sydney Zoo, and this will be their first Rockhampton summer, so I imagine it's going to be a bit of a shock to their system for sure," Gargett said. "It's not unusual to see a keeper standing right near a mister too."