A blistering heatwave has gripped eastern New South Wales with temperatures soaring up to 12 degrees Celsius above average, triggering a severe weather warning. If you’re in Western Sydney, you’ll likely bear the brunt of this intense heatwave, with temperatures soaring to a sweltering 39°C. On Wednesday, temperatures are set to rise even further, reaching 40°C in Western Sydney and 33°C in the CBD.
With temperatures rapidly rising across eastern Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has issued a severe weather warning that will remain in place until Thursday. Areas most likely to be affected include Penrith, Parramatta, Liverpool, Batemans Bay, Bowral, Camden, Campbeltown, Hornsby, Nowra and Richmond.
The intense heat will be accompanied by high humidity, making the temperatures feel a few degrees warmer than they actually are, Weatherzone reports.
Little relief is expected until at least Thursday but NSW residents can look forward to a cooler weekend starting Friday, with temperatures forecast to drop into the low to mid-20s, along with rain and thunderstorms.
“We are expecting quite a shift to rainy and stormy conditions heading into the weekend, with the potential for severe thunderstorms as well,” BoM forecaster Jonathan Howe told ABC News, while adding that Sydneysiders will still notice the humidity.
“The rain and storms will help to cool things down a little bit, so we are expecting those heatwave signals to diminish heading into Thursday and Friday.”
While we wait for the severe conditions to ease, NSW Health advises residents to stay hydrated, stay indoors, and take due precautions against the heat.