Most of the east coast and parts of South Australia are at high risk of bushfire, after one of the warmest, driest winters on record.
Populated areas of Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia have been marked "red" in the 2017 Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook.
Weather experts and rural fire services commissioners gathered in Sydney on Tuesday, warning residents from all states and territories, including Western Australia, Tasmania and the ACT, to be prepared for what is set to be bad bushfire season.
Australia has had its ninth driest winter on record, said Bureau of Meteorology climatologist David Jones.
Mr Jones also said warmer than average temperatures across Australia, particularly northern and eastern Australia are likely to continue.
To combat the risk of fire damage and injury, the fire commissioners urged those living in bushfire-prone areas to be prepared ahead of the fire season.
"Have that conversation with your family and loved ones, download a bushfire survival plan, take the time to work through it," Commissioner of New South Wales Rural Fire Service Shane Fitzsimmons told reporters.
Chief executive of Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research Centre Dr Richard Thornton said that overall temperatures had been increasing on an annual basis, leading to an increase in fire danger.
"Fire danger is high virtually every year now," Dr Thornton told reporters.
"This is becoming the new normal."
