Sydney hits 38 degrees, hottest day in two years as heat wave scorches New South Wales

Temperatures in Sydney are set to soar today, reaching 38 degrees Celsius in the city, the hottest in more than two years.

Gabriel Blanescu, senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, said temperatures were not seen since January 2021 and before March 2018.

“It’s been hot,” said Blanescu.

“There is a heat wave warning in New South Wales, which will affect the area from the Queensland border to Sydney.”

He said Liverpool, Penrith and Richmond are projected to reach 38 degrees, while Parramatta and Campbeltown are projected to reach 37 degrees.

Branescu said the hottest days are Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures hitting 34 degrees tomorrow and then dropping to the mid-to-high 20s from Wednesday.

Surf Lifesaving NSW Chief Executive Stephen Pearce has warned beachgoers to swim between the flags.

“I imagine the beach today will be very crowded, all along the coast,” Pierce said.

“There were 28 drownings in the summer, all swimming outside yellow and red flags.

The alert comes after an 18-year-old boy drowned on Sydney’s Northern Beaches over the weekend after bodysurfing with friends at Freshwater Beach on Saturday.

His body was found the next morning.

Meanwhile, across the state, extreme fire hazard warnings have been declared in three regions, and total fire bans are in place in seven regions.

A spokeswoman for the Rural Fire Service said hot, dry conditions combined with gusty northwesterly winds increased the risk of fire.

Thirty-four schools will be closed in the Midwest near Mudgee, Bathurst, Orange Lithgow and Oberon due to extreme fire hazards and high temperatures.