Firefighters ‘ready for action’ across NSW as new heatwave looms

“It’s going to be a heat wave, especially in western suburbs like Penrith,” he said.

Highs are expected to reach 35 degrees in the city and 37 degrees in the west on Thursday. Friday will be a little cooler, with highs of 30 degrees in the city and 34 degrees in the west.

Temperatures will continue to rise through Tuesday, when the weather system is expected to move offshore.

Nighttime temperatures are not expected to drop below 20 degrees Celsius during the heat wave.

Clapp said sporadic heat waves are not uncommon at this time of year. He also said that heat waves usually bring dry heat rather than damp.

“There is always the possibility of seeing warmer conditions in March,” he said.

“It’s not until April or May that we usually see the cooler conditions that are considered typical autumn.”

The rest of New South Wales is also expected to experience warmer weather, with northwestern Burke forecast to reach 41 degrees on Saturday.

End of La Niña

On Tuesday, the Bureau of Meteorology also declared the end of La Niña.

This weather system has brought devastating flooding to Australia during the last three summers.

However, the bureau also warned that there is a 50/50 chance of an El Niño occurring this summer, resulting in dry, hot conditions.

The last time an El Niño hit was the Black Summer wildfires of 2019-20. In the past, El Niño has caused some of the worst droughts in the country.

“El Niño observations do not guarantee that an El Niño will occur, but rather indicate that some typical precursors to the phenomenon are currently being observed,” he said.

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