People were not the only ones hitting the beach to beat the scorching heat over the weekend, with emus filmed taking a dip in the water to cool down.
Footage emerged of the native Australian birds wading through the waters off the Eyre Peninsula, in South Australia, as temperatures reached 41C on Sunday.
The emus were filmed pacing up and down in the water before immersing their entire bodies in the cool water.
Social media users were quick to take to the video and gush over the animals.
Footage emerged of the Australian wildlife wading through the waters off the Eyre Peninsula, in South Australia, as temperatures reached 41C on Sunday
An Echunga resident in the Adelaide Hills took this photo of the out-of-control bushfire that threatened homes and lives on Sunday, just 34km from the South Australian capital
The extreme temperature came as an out-of-control bushfire burned on the outskirts of Adelaide and an intense heatwave battered the state, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania (pictured, a visual depiction of how hot NSW and Victoria is expected to get on Monday)
'Awww bless their hearts,' one person wrote. 'So beautiful to see these emus cooling off in water.'
Another person commented: 'How beautiful is this thank God I live here in this beautiful country with the beautiful wildlife we have to share it with.'
Emus are the second largest bird, behind the Ostrich, and can grow as tall as two metres.
They are only found in Australia and prefer to live in open plains, though they can be found in snowfields and forests.
They also have two sets of eyelids - one for blinking, and the other to keep dust out of their eyes.
The extreme temperature in South Australia came as an out-of-control bushfire burned on the outskirts of Adelaide.
An emergency warning was issued for Cherry Gardens, where residents were urged to evacuate on Sunday night - and then told it was too late to leave.
'You are now in danger. Take shelter in a solid building. Do not leave or enter this area in a vehicle or on foot. It is too late to leave as the roads will not be safe,' a police alert read.
'Conditions are dangerous and firefighters are now unable to prevent the fire spreading. Shelter before the fire arrives as heat can kill you well before the flames reach you.'
Sydney's beaches were packed to capacity as the mercury peaked at 34C on Sunday and reached 40C in the city's west (pictured, beachgoers at Bronte Beach, in Sydney, on Saturday)
Melburnians flocked to St Kilda (pictured) on Sunday as the mercury reached 34C. Monday will be even hotter where the mercury will edge closer to 40C
A series of watch and act alerts also remain in place for surrounding areas from Stirling and Bridgewater in the north, to Hahndorf and the edge of Mount Barker in the east, Kangarilla to the south and Clarendon in the west.
The intense heatwave was also felt across the rest of the southeast of Australia.
Sydney's beaches were packed to capacity as the mercury peaked at 34C on Sunday and reached 40C in the city's west.
It was the third consecutive day temperatures reached the mid-30s along the coast in the harbour city.
Bega, on the state's south coast, is expected to reach at least 39C on Monday and NSW-Victoria border towns could endure temperatures up to 44C.
A swimmer at Sydney's famous Bondi Beach as temperatures creeped over 40C over the weekend
Health authorities urge everyone to keep cool by staying indoors, switching on air conditioning and keeping hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
Victoria will also see temperatures building to a peak on Monday, with most major centres in the state's north surpassing 40C.
Melbourne will peak at a scorching 41C on Monday.
It will be another hot day in the nation's capital in Canberra, with temperatures of 30C and above from Sunday right through to Wednesday.
The maximum will be 38C on Monday, 35C on Tuesday and 30C on Wednesday - with sunny skies persisting the whole time, although there is the chance of a possible shower on Wednesday.
