Scorching Temperatures Expected in NSW, Sydney’s West to Reach Low 40s

Key Takeaways

• The first heatwave of the summer is expected to reach its peak in New South Wales, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius likely to span from Western Australia’s north-west to Parramatta.
• Severe heatwave warnings are in place for large areas of the country, including parts of the NSW coast and Sydney.
• Extreme fire danger warnings have been issued for parts of New South Wales, with total fire bans in place in nine areas.
• A cold front is set to bring a cooler change to NSW by the end of the weekend, with milder conditions already arriving in WA and Victoria.
• The Bureau of Meteorology’s long-range outlook is favoring warmer-than-normal temperatures across almost the entire country, increasing the risk of heatwaves and bushfires this summer.

Introduction to the Heatwave
The first heatwave of the summer is expected to reach its peak in New South Wales, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius likely to span from Western Australia’s north-west to Parramatta. This heatwave has sparked an extreme fire danger warning for large parts of NSW, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning of the risk of dry lightning across parts of the state on Saturday. The heatwave is expected to be severe, with temperatures up to 15C above average in some areas, including parts of the NSW coast from east of Cooma to Newcastle.

Heatwave Warnings and Extreme Fire Danger
Severe heatwave warnings are in place for large areas of the country, including parts of the NSW coast and Sydney. The Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jonathan How said that parts of the NSW coast could see temperatures up to 15C above average, with Sydney expected to reach 37C in the city and the low 40s in the west. Extreme fire danger warnings have been issued for parts of New South Wales, with total fire bans in place in nine areas, including in Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, and the Illawarra/Shoalhaven. The Rural Fire Service spokesman Ben Shepherd said that a bushfire near Bulahdelah on the Mid North Coast was expected to present a challenge, with winds expected to shift back to the north-west.

Cool Change and Storm Risk
A cold front is set to bring a cooler change to NSW by the end of the weekend, with milder conditions already arriving in WA and Victoria. The cold front is forecast to bring showers to large parts of Victoria and Tasmania, with the chance of snow down to 700m in Tasmania during Saturday evening. Severe thunderstorms are also possible on Saturday for eastern parts of Victoria and parts of the south-coast New South Wales up to the Illawarra region. The Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jonathan How said that severe storms were possible from Saturday afternoon and evening for the northern parts of the state, with the risk of wind and pockets of heavy rainfall from "Newcastle to about the Tablelands".

Hot Summer Ahead
The Bureau of Meteorology’s long-range outlook is favoring warmer-than-normal temperatures across almost the entire country, increasing the risk of heatwaves and bushfires this summer. The forecast includes a double to triple the normal chance of "unusually" warm summertime maximums across Victoria, Tasmania, eastern Queensland, and northern WA and the Northern Territory. Large parts of northern Australia are also very likely to see unusually warm nights during the season. The increased risk of heatwaves and bushfires is a concern, with the National Council for Fire and Emergency Service (AFAC) identifying increased risk of fires across parts of southern WA and NSW.

Bushfire Risk and Preparation
The forecast, combined with long-term dryness across some parts of the landscape, has prompted fire and emergency services to warn some parts of the country could transition into a "highly flammable" state in the season ahead. The National Council for Fire and Emergency Service (AFAC) has identified increased risk of fires across parts of southern WA and NSW, with large parts of Victoria also highlighted as having an increased fire risk later in the season. The AFAC has warned that the increased risk of bushfires is due to the combination of hot and dry conditions, and has urged residents to be prepared and take steps to protect themselves and their properties. The Bureau of Meteorology senior climatologist Simon Grainger said that the increased risk of heatwaves and bushfires is a concern, and that residents should be aware of the risks and take steps to prepare.