Australia heatwave: Sydney sees hottest September day on record

Parts of Sydney have sweltered through their hottest September day on record as bushfire danger hits “catastrophic” levels.

Parts of Sydney have sweltered through their hottest September day on record as bushfire danger hits “catastrophic” levels.

A severe heatwave has gripped southern New South Wales since Sunday, with both maximum and minimum temperatures soaring well above average for this time of year.

Temperatures soared to between 10 and 15 degrees above average in many areas of Sydney, including in the CBD, which hit a peak of 34.6C at 1.55pm on Tuesday. That was its equal hottest September day on record.

The CBD weather station, on Observatory Hill near the Harbour Bridge, has been taking temperature readings since 1858.

The average maximum temperature for Sydney city in September is just 20C.

The heat was also a record-breaker at Sydney Airport, where the mercury peaked at 35.9C at 1.39pm. It beat the previous September peak of 35.6C, which was set in 2000.

Due to stronger than forecast winds along the Far South Coast, Catastrophic fire danger is expected this afternoon. For your survival, avoid being in fire risk areas today. Stay up to date, review your bush fire survival plan and know what you will do if a fire threatens. pic.twitter.com/aI9VJTtIBS

— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) September 19, 2023

Weatherzone’s Ben Domensino said it was just the third time in history Sydney’s maximum temperature reached 34C in September. If the heat continues tomorrow, as is forecast, it will be the first pair of 34C September days on record., he said.

“In data dating back to 1859, the city has only reached 34C in September on three occasions (2000, 1980 and 1965),” Mr Domensino tweeted.

It was just the third time in history Sydney’s maximum temperature reached 34C in September. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Outside of Sydney, Wollongong hit 34C with 35C in Kiama.

Parts of the NSW south coast reached a “catastrophic” fire danger rating on Tuesday afternoon.

On Tuesday evening there were 70 fires burning, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), with 14 not contained.

More than 750 firefighters and other RFS staff were working to contain the fires.

Residents were urged to avoid high fire risk areas, such as parks and bushland, while a total fire ban was put in place.

More than 20 of the state’s schools were shut down as the mercury soared, while it was announced all national parks around Sydney will be closed from Wednesday.

All tracks, trails, and visitor precincts at Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park at West Head, Garigal National Park and Sydney Harbour National Park at Middle Head, Dobroyd Head, North Head and Bradley’s Head will be closed. All remote area campgrounds, walking tracks and trails will be closed in other national parks across Sydney.

The closures will remain in place until NSW’s total fire ban is lifted.

Sydney has sweltered through record-breaking September heat. Picture: Weatherzone.

The heatwave comes after the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) finally declared El Nino was underway.

BOM meteorologist Karl Braganza said extreme conditions were already taking hold of parts of Australia.

“We are already seeing extreme conditions in some part of the continent, particularly in the duration of heat,” he said.

“We’ve had an extended period of warm and dry weather to start spring, today we’ve had catastrophic conditions on the south coast of NSW just to underscore that risk.”

A map on the BOM’s website shows a more than over 80 per cent chance of the median maximum temperature being exceeded right across the nation from October to December of this year.