SYDNEY: Sydney has sweltered through its hottest November night since records began more than 160 years ago before temperatures again climbed above 40C in the city on Sunday ahead of a cool but gusty change.
As per details, the temperature dropped to just 25.3C at 1.09 am on Sunday at Sydney’s Observatory Hill and rose above 30C shortly after 4.30 am. The previous record for the warmest November minimum temperature was set in 1967 at 24.8C.
On Sunday, temperatures in Sydney peaked at 42.6C at Sydney airport at 1.20 pm as the extreme heat posed a fire danger across New South Wales.
Three watch and act alerts had been issued for fires in NSW by 4.30 pm with the ground and waterbombing crews battling to save homes from a fire at Northmead in Sydney’s west.
According to the NSW Rural Fire Service, “Firefighters and waterbombing aircraft are working to contain the fire and protect homes”.
The service later confirmed one property was damaged by fire. “The immediate threat has eased,” it said after 3 pm when advising the Northmead fire had been downgraded to advise level again. “Crews remain on scene working to fully contain the fire.”
Watch and act alerts were later issued for fires at Pitt Town Road in Kenthurst and Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains as winds picked up in the afternoon. There were 61 bush and grass fires burning across the state at 4.30 pm.
Firefighters and aircraft have been working in difficult conditions to contain the fire at Whitehaven Road, Northmead. The immediate threat has eased. One property has been damaged by fire. Crews remain on scene working to fully contain the fire. #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/evqUL6k7ue
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) November 29, 2020
Most parts of Sydney exceeded 40C again on Sunday, according to Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Helen Kirkup. The weekend marked the first two consecutive days above 39C recorded in Sydney since 1960, she said.
Temperatures were forecast to ease in the afternoon when a gusty southerly was expected to break the north-westerly winds that have been dragging hot air masses up through NSW since Saturday. Kirkup told Guardian Australia she expected the cool change to be felt in Sydney from 3 pm and further up NSW as the afternoon progressed.
Have been seeing strong north-westerly #winds gusting to about 100km/hr around #Sydney #Illawarra & several other locations. A southerly is starting to have an effect on the south coast, and will slowly build and move north over coming hours https://t.co/USudJLDnS8 pic.twitter.com/aeAmdLGbEM
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) November 29, 2020
The bushfire season of 2019-20 saw fires sweep across 24 million hectares of land. It was Australia’s most intense bushfire season on record, though not it’s most deadly.
The blazes affected every Australian state, destroyed over 3,000 homes, and killed or displaced nearly three billion animals. At least 33 people were killed.
