NSW swelters in record heat as firefighters battle blazes

Inland New South Wales sweltered done record-breaking March temperatures connected Sunday arsenic fires burned crossed the state.

While interior Sydney remained comparatively chill – the mercury peaked astatine 28.9C, acknowledgment to a oversea breeze – the state’s occidental districts scorched, with temperatures supra 42C successful Bourke, Cobar and Brewarrina.

Wagga Wagga recorded its hottest March temperatures yet connected Sunday, hitting 39.9C, breaking the erstwhile grounds of 39.5C acceptable connected 7 March 1983. Records successful the country spell backmost 80 years.

Temperatures deed betwixt 0.5 and 1.5 degrees higher than erstwhile March records successful Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo and galore different locations connected and westbound of the ranges.

Sunday’s highest somesthesia successful the authorities was 43.8C recorded astatine Wilcannia airdrome successful the north-west.

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The Bureau of Meteorology said Penrith, successful Sydney’s west, which had been forecast to scope 40C, got to 38.7C astatine 3.48pm.

Campbelltown and Camden reached 39C, with Badgerys Creek the lone Sydney suburb to officially walk 40C, hitting 40.2C astatine 3.28pm. Richmond and Bankstown reached 38C.

The Riverina besides experienced utmost heat, with Griffith and Yanco some reaching 41C.

In its latest forecast connected Sunday afternoon, the bureau said cooler conditions could beryllium expected aft the tally of grounds March heat.

“Sunday was a time of grounds temperatures and elevated occurrence danger,” the bureau’s Dean Narramore said. “A trough volition determination into South Australia connected Monday with airy showers connected confederate parts, spreading into Victoria and NSW astatine night.”

Firefighters crossed NSW and Victoria stay connected alert arsenic beardown winds are inactive forecast connected Sunday afternoon, with astatine slightest 30 fires inactive burning successful NSW.

A occurrence astatine Craigs Road successful Curraweela, successful the confederate tablelands, was being controlled but had burned done 3,689 hectares, destroying spot and livestock.

Victoria’s Country Fire Authority said a bushfire astatine Lorne, eastbound of Erskine Falls Road, was present astatine an proposal level.