Sydney has experienced its hottest weather in almost 80 years as temperatures hit a blistering 47.3°C (117F) in the Australian city on Sunday.
The suburb of Penrith, west of the city, bore the brunt of the heat, according to the Bureau of Meteorology for New South Wales.
Severe fire warnings were issued for the greater Sydney area and total fire bans were put in place across the city.
Sunday’s temperatures just fell short of the scorching heat to hit the area in 1939, when the mercury reached 47.8°C.
#SydneyHeat UPDATE: #Penrith has now reached 47.3 degrees at 3:25pm according to the preliminary live data from the weather station there.
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) January 7, 2018
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service has warned residents to prepare their bushfire plans in case of emergency. They’ve also informed residents that if they are considering leaving their homes, they should do so earlier rather than later.
Fire Weather for SUNDAY 7/1/18, Fire Danger Rating VERY HIGH, Readiness Level 3, Max Fire Danger Index 36, Max… https://t.co/M7EA5CTtJp
— ACT RuralFireService (@ACTRFS) January 6, 2018
Temperatures hit 43.4°C at Sydney’s Observatory Hill just after 1pm on Sunday.
The Bureau of Meteorology said cooler conditions were expected to reach coastal areas during the afternoon and Sydney’s west in the evening.
The heatwave, which is being described as ”catastrophic”, is also causing traffic diversions in southeastern Australia as temperatures soar so high that the asphalt has melted on some roads
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