Victorians are being urged to stay cool this weekend ahead of heatwave conditions hammering the state.

Temperatures on Saturday and Sunday are set to nudge 40 degrees in Melbourne, and rising even higher in some regional areas.

The capital will reach 30 degrees today, before a sharp peak tomorrow.

READ MORE: Child dies in caravan fire in regional Victoria

Saturday is forecast to top out at 38 degrees, followed by 37 degrees on Sunday.

Despite the fire threat in the Gippsland and Grampians areas being downgraded, fire authorities will also be watchful for any strong winds or changing conditions.

A cool change on Monday will also bring plenty of rain.

Further north in New South Wales, Sydney will enjoy a balmy Saturday, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a top of 29.

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But that will spike into the mid-30s on Sunday and Monday, before a cool change drops temperatures to the mid-20s for the rest of next week.

Brisbane will see consistent weekend temperatures of around 30 degrees at most, with the chance of rain on Saturday.

Adelaide will be a warm 36 on Saturday with plenty of cloud cover, cooling slightly to 33 on Sunday.

The weekend will be sunny in Perth, with a top of 32 degrees on Sunday, while Darwin will be stormy, with tops of 33 degrees both days.

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A mild 28 degrees in Hobart on Saturday will call to 22 degrees on Sunday, with a chance of rain.

Canberra meanwhile faces a hot one, with a top of 34 degrees on Saturday and 35 on Sunday, followed by a possible Monday storm.

Stay up to date with forecasts and warnings at the BoM website.

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A man wanted by police over an alleged cold case murder in Queensland has been arrested in Sydney after a national manhunt.

Keith Lees, 72, was taken into custody at a property on Kenthurst Road in Dural yesterday morning over an arrest warrant issued in July 2023 in relation to the alleged murder of Meaghan Louise Rose on the Sunshine Coast in 1997.

The 25-year-old's body was found at the base of Point Cartwright cliffs in Mooloolaba on the morning of July 18, 1997.

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Her white Suzuki Cino hatchback was found in the carpark along with a wine cask and glass nearby.

Investigators initially declared there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death but police later re-opened the case in 2009.

Queensland Police then announced a $500,000 reward in June 2023 for information that led to her killer's arrest and conviction.

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Police confirmed in 2023 they were approaching all original witnesses.

Queensland detectives had travelled to Victoria to speak to Lees in late June that year but were unable to find him.

His car was found the following day and on June 27, he was seen at a Waurn Ponds shopping centre and then leaving a Shepparton train station.

After his arrest yesterday Lees was taken to Hornsby Police Station yesterday where he was charged with the warrant, assaulting a police officer in execution of duty without aggravated bodily harm, dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offence and possessing identity information to commit an indictable offence.

Police will also allege Lees tried to bite an officer while he was in custody.

He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court today.

NSW Police said it was understood the Queensland Police Service will apply for his extradition.

Rose had left her tight-knit family behind in Victoria to move to Queensland for a romance with then-44-year-old Lees.

Rose's sister Fiona Ratcliffe previously appealed to the public for information into her sister's death.

"My sister Meaghan was a fun-loving, bright, young woman," Ratcliffe said.

"Meaghan and I shared many memories over the years, including her teaching myself to drive."

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The body of a boy has been found in a river in Victoria after a desperate search today in the state's east.

Emergency services were called to a campsite off the Angusvale track in Cobbannah at 11.50am after the child was spotted in the river at 11.20am but hadn't been sighted since.

Several hours later, the boy was found deceased in the water at about 2.50pm.

READ MORE: Man arrested in Sydney over cold case murder on Sunshine Coast in 1997

Police said an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The Angusvale camping area is a part of Mitchell River National Park, not far from Lakes Entrance.

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An abseiler has died after falling off a cliff in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in Sydney's north.

Police and paramedics were called to a picnic area on the Duckholes Trial in Terry Hills, which is part of the national park, at 12.30pm.

The man reportedly fell 20 metres from the cliff into the water below.

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The body of the man, believed to be in his 40s, has been recovered from the water by firefighters, who were roped down to the site and pulled the man's body up.

FRNSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry called the scene "confronting." 

"He was with a group of people, a lot of young people as well who have witnessed this.

"[Firefighters] were able to get him onto the rocks but, unfortunately… despite best efforts, he could not be revived.

"[It's a] really confronting situation for everyone involved. [It's also] a really dangerous situation, particularly for our firefighters who were on rope… to get down and recover this man."

The victim has not yet been formally identified.

The national park had to be evacuated while emergency operations were underway. 

A small Victorian town is mourning after a three-year-old boy died in a caravan fire overnight. 

At about 5.50pm, a caravan was reported ablaze on Lake View Street in Boort in the state's north.

Fire crews put out the flames, and a dead child was found inside the caravan.

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The caravan went up in flames in the child's great-grandmother's backyard.

Locals Mary and Joe Dalozzo said neighbours rushed to put the blaze was too strong. 

"I just saw a little bit of smoke, just through the trees, and I looked up and it was still little, and then by the time everyone started gathering, it just started roaring," Ms Dalozzo said.

"There was a guy next door, he had the hose and he was trying, but the flames were just too intense."

The local community of Boort has already started rallying, with the supermarket staying open late last night to organise food packages for the family, and the caravan park offering accommodation.

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The boy's family has been left "devastated", family friend Donna Doyle said.

"The family are totally devastated and wrapping each other up in love and support at this time," Doyle said.

"Words can't describe what a small town does when a tragedy like this happens but everybody comes together.

"They've obviously just had Christmas and New Year's, wonderful, amazing experiences with their family and friends, and memories to cherish forever now."

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An arson chemist was on the scene today investigating the cause of the fire.

Welfare services are in place for family, community members, and first responders.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anybody with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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“The fact that we are not looking at two dead police officers is miraculous.”

Sister Margaret Noone AM, a driving force behind Australia's first children's hospice, has died at the age of 91.

Noone was the first employee of the Victorian-based Very Special Kids, which provides palliative care for children and young people.

She retired in 2002 but continued her work with the organisation as a patron.

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The 91-year-old died peacefully today surrounded by loved ones and the Loreto community.

Noone was the driving force behind Australia's first children's hospice, a dream which became a reality in 1996.

"When I was first advocating for the children's hospice to be built, I felt like a voice crying out in the wilderness," she said at the time.

"It was the women who stood by my side, they helped make this possible.

"Collectively, we acknowledged a need and pushed until change happened."

Very Special Kids said Noone was "beloved by our staff, volunteers and the families we care for".

"Above all else, everything Margaret did was for the children and families," the charity said in a statement.

"She led Very Special Kids until her retirement in 2002 and remained very active in her role as patron until the end of her life.

"We will remember Margaret for her generosity, strength, determination, faith, warmth and wit.

"Her legacy will forever live on in the work of Very Special Kids.

"We will honour Sister Margaret's life at a public funeral service in the coming days, with details yet to be finalised.

"Our thoughts are with Margaret's family, friends and the countless people whose lives she touched."

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As of 3.45pm four fire trucks and 3 helicopters were on site.

Specialist search operators from across NSW have been deployed to the Kosciuszko National Park as the search for a missing hiker enters its eighth day.

Hadi Nazari, 23, was last seen by his friends about 2.30pm on Boxing Day when he was seen going down the Hannels Spur Trail at Geehi, between Khancoban and Thredbo.

His friends had expected to meet him at the Geehi Campground, but when he failed to arrive, his two friends began to search for him.

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Police were called about 8.45pm that day and started searching for the missing bushwaler with the help of the SES.

The search has expanded over recent days with NSW Parks and WIldlife Service, the SES, NSW Ambulance and Police Air called in to scour the challenging terrain.

On December 31, rubbish and hiking poles believed to belong to Nazari were found near the Kosciuszko River.

The area around the river remains searchers' focus.

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More operators with winching capabilities arrived today to allow rescuers to be lowered deeper into the bushland to search for longer periods.

Authorities have said the search will continue over the weekend.

"We are continuing the search for Hadi, this remains an active search and rescue and we are not giving up hope of finding him alive," Riverina Police District Acting Superintendent Jill Gibson said.

"Our search crews are focusing on the creek lines and water sources, where we believe Hadi may be."

She said more than 250 staff from different agencies were searching the difficult terrain.

"The location comprises of incredibly dense bushland and challenging conditions on the ground, with the bushland so dense that searchers – in some parts – can't see their feet," Gibson said. 

"We know Hadi is an experienced bushwalker, so we will continue through the weekend searching to try to locate him."

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Australian shoppers have been told to check their cash after a string of NSW businesses reported counterfeit $50 notes to police.

The fake cash was handed to businesses in Merimbula and Eden on the state's south coast on New Year's Day.

Employees suspected the notes were counterfeit due to a faulty transparent panel and handed the cash to police to investigate.

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People who suspect they are the victim of a counterfeit are urged to check the quality of the printing, including examining the clarity and sharpness of images and writing as well as the note’s thickness.

Plastic counterfeit currency is usually noticeably thicker than the real thing but police have also encountered poor quality, paper fakes.

The Christmas and New Year break is a key tourism period for the NSW South Coast, with an influx of visitors from across the state and country.

How to spot a fake $50 note:

• Feel the note – a genuine note is printed on special plastic polymer and is difficult to tear
• Hold the note to the light and look for the Australian Coat of Arms. This is generally located to the left of the clear window, or denomination numeral when looking at the front of the note.
• Feel for slightly raised printing on the main design of the note
• Look for the seven-pointed star inside a circle
• Compare the background printing – look for any distortions or less clearly defined patterns.
• Check that the note has a clear window and that it has a clear printed image: $50 has the Southern Cross and the $100 has the lyrebird.
• If possible, look under a UV light to locate the serial numbers.

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