A timely blast of wintry conditions could bring some relief to firefighters battling multiple bushfires on Tasmania’s usually soggy west coast.

There was an emergency warning on Thursday for residents of Sandy Cape, in Tasmania’s north-west.

They were urged to take shelter from approaching fires that could destroy homes.

Watch and act alerts were issued for Pieman Heads, Reece Dam, Corinna and Granville Harbour. In all there were 22 bushfire warnings on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in Western Australia, a cyclone approaching the Pilbara coast is expected to intensify into a category five system when it makes landfall, sparking locals into action.

Fires that have burned for weeks in Tasmania, sparked by dry lightning, have devoured 70,000 hectares of bushland and forced the closure of the popular hiking route the Overland Track.

The weather bureau said temperatures and fire dangers would peak on Thursday before the wind shifted from north-east to north-west later.

However, firefighting crews are crossing their fingers for relief across the weekend with predictions of a chilly change that could even bring snow.

Weatherzone said a cold front was expected to sweep northwards over Tasmania. The unseasonably cold air could reach as far north as southern NSW and the ACT.

“For Tasmania, snow is likely in the highest parts of the state, while flakes could also fall at the highest elevations of Victorian and NSW ski resorts like Mount Hotham and Thredbo,” the forecaster said.

“This weather system is extremely timely for Tasmanians who are currently battling serious bushfires.

“A statewide soaking will accompany the cooler weather, with widespread showers continuing through to Sunday.”

Temps could drop below zero in mountain areas of Tasmania, with Hobart reaching just 16 degrees across the weekend.

It has been a desperately dry start to the year for Tasmania, with Hobart receiving less than 30 millimetres, Launceston less than 15 millimetres and Queenstown less than 20 millimetres.

An NASA Earth Observatory image taken from space shows a thick blanket of smoke obscuring the island.

A NASA image taken on Wednesday afternoon shows smoke visible from space. Photo: NASA Earth Observatory

Melbourne is also headed for a cool change with maximums of just 19 degrees and 18 degrees on Saturday and Sunday – the coldest two-day spell of the  summer.

Canberrans would wake to brisk mornings as low as six degrees on Sunday and Monday, Weatherzone said.

Perisher and Thredbo are expected to dip to a bone-chilling -3 degrees on Sunday morning.

Cyclone Zelia looms

In WA, schools have closed and roads are set to follow as the Pilbara coast braces for Tropical Cyclone Zelia.

It was about 140 kilometres north of Port Hedland on Thursday after quickly developing into a category four system, with wind gusts of up to 250km/h.

“We’ve seen rapid intensification of the cyclone overnight,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore said.

“We have a very organised and very intense tropical cyclone.”

Cyclone Zelia is expected to hit the coast west of Port Hedland as a maximum category five system on Friday, bringing destructive winds and flash flooding.

About a dozen schools have been shut, with roads to also close, including the Great Northern Highway in WA’s north-west.

A South Hedland evacuation centre has reportedly been set up with the cyclone expected to bring destructive wind gusts to Pilbara coast communities as it intensifies.

“We’re likely to see it start turning towards the WA coast as a category five system and at this stage crossing to the west of Port Hedland Friday afternoon into [the] evening,” Narramore said.

“We could also see very destructive winds near the core of this system as it crosses late Friday into [the] night with winds up to 290km/h possible.”

A cyclone warning has been issued for Bidyadanga to Dampier, including Port Hedland, Karratha and Dampier, and extending inland to Marble Bar.

Areas of “most concern” are communities between Dampier and De Grey, particularly around Port Hedland, where there has already been up to 90 millimetres of rain.

A cyclone “watch and act” warning has been issued for Eighty Mile Beach to Whim Creek and inland to Marble Bar.

“There is a possible threat to lives and homes as a cyclone is approaching the area,” the warning said.

“You need to take action and get ready to shelter from a cyclone.”

Locals were warned to expect damaging to destructive winds between Whim Creek and Wallal Downs including Port Hedland from Thursday night, along with lots of rain.

“We … [are] likely to see widespread local to heavy intense rainfall with hundreds of millimetres, leading to flash and widespread riverine flooding,” Narramore said.

-with AAP