Severe weather warning issued after Sydney temperature hits record high of 45.8 degrees
Baku, January 18 (AZERTAC). A severe weather warning has been issued for Sydney, just hours after the city registered its hottest day on record.
The warning for heavy rain and damaging winds was also issued for the NSW Central Tablelands and parts of the Hunter, Illawarra and Central West Slopes and Plains Forecast Districts.
Earlier, the mercury hit 45.8 degrees in the city at 2.55pm. The previous high of 45.3 degrees was recorded in January 1939 at Observatory Hill.
Many parts of NSW had hovered around 45 degrees at lunchtime on Friday as a fiery air mass from inland Australia moved over the state, pushing the mercury well above the forecast maximum.
In Sydney, the original forecast was that the temperature would reach a maximum of 39 degrees in the city. But by 12.30pm the mercury had already hit a stifling 43.3 degrees at Observatory Hill, climbing to 45 degrees at 1.43pm, 45.2 degrees at 1.58pm, 45.3 degrees at 2.27pm and 45.7 degrees at 2.54pm. The city's temperature dropped to 33.9 degrees at 5.04pm.
n the west, Penrith hit 46.5 degrees at 2.16pm. Sydney Airport hit 46.4 degrees at 2.32pm.
Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said this was the second day this month the city had sweated through temperatures over 40 degrees. That had happened only four times in January in the past 107 years.
"Sydneysiders may find this type of heat unusual," he said.
"Last summer only saw the mercury reach a top of 33.4 degrees, and [the city] recorded just two days over 30. On average, the city typically reaches 40 degrees once every three summers, although this year has seen an unusually hot start.
"Reduced cloud cover over central and western Australia during the past few weeks has allowed a very hot air mass to build. This heat has periodically made its way towards the nation's coast due to the passage of low pressure troughs across the nation's south."
