Second heatwave bound for Sydney brings bluebottles to beaches

Bluebottles have invaded Sydney for the first time this summer and are set to stick around all week, which will frustrate swimmers’ efforts to cool off as another heatwave hits.

Bluebottles have invaded NSW beaches in numbers for the first time this summer — and are set to stick around all week as crowds seek relief from a new heatwave.

Easterly winds have pushed the marine stingers ashore from Tweed Heads to Wollongong with some Sydney beaches hit hard.

But the creatures, also known as Pacific Man-of-War, aren’t yet in the phenomenal numbers that littered the southeast Queensland coast at the beginning of the year.

In the first nine days of 2019, more than 10,000 people were treated for stings on Queensland beaches.

But there were enough on Sydney’s northern beaches for swimmers to take the plunge in rock pools rather than the open ocean.

Bluebottles washed up onto the sand are lining Sydney beaches. Picture Instagram

Easterly winds have pushed the marine stingers onto popular beaches. Picture Instagram

People have taken to social media to share their photos. Picture Instagram

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The city’s iconic ocean baths were also the place where sweaty Sydneysiders sought relief from a stinking hot Friday night before a cool change swept in.

Louie Nehme from Lane Cove and his kids Christian, 12, and Chloe, 8, cooled off in the Ross Jones Rock Pool at Coogee at 10pm when the temperature was still 30C.

“We went for a swim after dinner because it was still scorching hot and the kids absolutely loved it,” he said.

The southerly change a few hours later lowered temperatures between seven and 10 degrees, but another heatwave will be in full force by Tuesday, when Penrith is forecast to reach 38C and Sydney 31C.

And there will be more hot nights perfect for a nocturnal rock pool dip, with overnight lows in the mid-20s.

Siblings Christian Nehme and Chloe Nehme cooling off during a hot Sydney evening. Picture: Dylan Robinson

The latest heatwave is forecast to last at least to next Sunday.

The high pressure system sitting over the Tasman Sea will help raise temperatures — it will also cause onshore winds, expected to blow more bluebottles ashore.

A Surf Life Saving NSW spokeswoman said: “Generally in the summer we see bluebottles from between 11am and 1pm, but if the wind has been strong from the northeast all night then they will be around in the morning.

“However, if there’s been a strong north-easterly wind the day before you might see bluebottles left behind on the high tide line but that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s any in the water.”

Brace yourself Sydney, another heatwave is on the way. Picture: AAP Image/Ben Rushton

The best way to treat a bluebottle sting is to rinse the affected skin thoroughly with seawater, before applying hot tap water or ice to dull the pain, according to world-renowned bluebottle expert Lisa-Ann Gershwin.

“It’s really important to rinse with sea water but unfortunately a lot of people forget that,” Dr Gershwin said.

“As soon as you put freshwater on the skin — if those stinging cells remain — the fresh water forces an immediate and massive injection of venom into the body.”