Too hot for the BEACH: Temperatures are set to break a 60-YEAR record with authorities forced to shut popular waterways due to increased fire danger
The heatwave sweeping Australia is set to shatter a 60-year record in NSW today where a total fire ban has been issued and some beaches and watering holes shut due to increased bushfire danger.
National Parks and Wildlife Services said most hiking paths and some beaches would be closed from midnight on Saturday as a precaution.
'From midnight tonight and while the total fire ban is in place most tracks, trails and remote campgrounds in Sydney's national parks will be closed,' NPWS Greater Sydney Director Deon van Rensburg said.
'The hot conditions not only bring about severe fire danger but also attract crowds to the beaches in our coastal parks and we must take all steps to continue to keep these areas COVID-safe.'
People flocked to Bronte Beach on Saturday (pictured above) to escape the relentless heatwave
National Parks and Wildlife Services said most hiking paths and some beaches would be closed from midnight on Saturday as a precaution. The Royal Coast Track, which includes access to Wedding Cake Rock and Figure 8 Pools will be shut
The fresh warnings came after Australia became the hottest country in the world on Saturday, taking all of the top ten spots for global towns and cities.
Moomba Airport in northern South Australia was the hottest place in the country on Saturday reaching a a high of 46.6C.
Birdsville Airport in Queensland wasn't far behind at 46.5C and Nullarbor, in western SA, saw a maximum of 46.4C.
The remaining seven hottest places in the world on Saturday were all in Australia.
The heatwave is thanks to a low pressure system spreading from SA through western NSW and northern Victoria.
Among the shutdowns in NSW will be the Royal Coast Track, which includes access to Wedding Cake Rock and Figure 8 Pools, as well as Lady Carrington Drive in the Royal National Park and the Great North Walk to the north of Sydney.
Wattamolla in the Royal National Park and The Basin in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park will remain open but are expected to fill up at the beginning of the day.
By 10am on Saturday, temperatures had already reached 34C in some parts of Sydney, with Penrith in the city's west exceeding 40C.
At 3am Sunday morning the temperature in the Sydney CBD was still 27C and had climbed back above 30C shortly after dawn.
The highest-recorded temperature was at the airport, an energy sapping 41.7C.
No respite is expected until late Sunday afternoon, with the mercury set to dip to 33C by 5pm and quickly drop thereafter.
HOTTEST LOCATIONS ACROSS THE WORLD ON SATURDAY
- Marree, South Australia: 46.6C
- Moomba, South Australia: 46.6C
- Olympic Dam, South Australia: 46.6C
- Birdsville, Queensland: 46.5C
- Nullarbor: 46.4C
- Oodnadatta, South Australia: 46.1C
- Woomera, South Australia: 45.7C
- Coober Pedy, South Australia: 45.3C
- Leigh Creek, South Australia: 45.3C
- Wilcannia, New South Wales: 45.2C
Weatherwatch's Don White said if Sydney's Observatory Hill reaches 39C on Sunday it would be the hottest pair of days in 60 years, news.com.au reported.
'If we did have 39 again tomorrow, it'd be the first time we'd had two days of 39 degree or more since 1960,' he said.
If Sydney gets to 40C on Sunday, it would be the first time the Harbour City has achieved the back to back feat outside of January in 162 years of records, according to Nine News.
Saturday night will only bring minimal relief, with overnight lows expected to stay above 24C.
Bondi Beach (pictured above) was swarming with people looking to enjoy a Saturday swim
The Bureau of Meteorology said Saturday night would 'be hot and awful for a lot of people'.
'Tonight Sydney is unlikely to get below 25 degrees. Dubbo 26C, Cobar 30C, Gosford 25C, Tibooburra 30C, Canberra 20C,' the bureau tweeted.
A southerly buster is expected to roar up the coast at about 6pm on Sunday, which could see temperatures drop as much as 20C.
In ominous news, temperatures across NSW are then tipped to spike again on Tuesday as heatwave conditions envelope inland areas.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has also issued a severe fire danger warning for parts of NSW on Sunday.
The RFS (pictured above) issued a fire ban for Sunday ahead of another scorching day being predicted by weather experts
'Severe fire danger is forecast for Far North Coast, North Coast, Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney Region and North Western, with Very High fire danger forecast for Illawarra/Shoalhaven, Central Ranges, New England and Northern Slopes tomorrow Sunday 29 November,' RFS said.
'A total fire ban will be in force for these areas from midnight tonight. Check and review your bush fire survival plan.'
Conditions were equally harsh interstate, with South Australia following up a scorching Friday with a very warm Saturday, after temperatures hit 46C in Port Augusta.
The water at Bondi Beach (pictured above) was the place to be as people sought refuge from the heatwave conditions
Mildura in regional Victoria is expected to reach 45C while Horsham and Bendigo in the state's north will reach the high 30s.
Melbourne will largely escape the heat with a pleasant maximum of 25 degrees on Saturday, while Hobart will be just 22C.
On the West Coast, Perth has a maximum of 25C and cloudy weather, which is expected to persist later into the week.
Canberra will have a maximum temperature of 34 degrees on Saturday - a figure that matches Darwin in the Northern Territory, which will also reach 34 degrees.