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NSW baking ahead of hot night in Sydney

Ben Domensino, Friday January 13, 2017 - 14:15 AEDT

Much of New South Wales is enduring extremely high temperatures today, although Sydney's hottest weather may be tonight.

Total fire bans are in place across most inland districts of the state today as temperatures soar towards 47 degrees in the west. Fire bans also cover the Hunter and Sydney.

By midday, temperatures had already reached 44.9C at Wilcannia, 44.2C at White Cliffs, 43.3C at Bourke, 41.9C at Broken Hill, 41.6C at Griffith, 41.4C at Condobolin and 34.2C at Richmond.

Humidity is exacerbating the heat today by making it feel 3-4 degrees warmer than the actual temperature in some areas. Penrith's 38 degrees at 1:20pm felt more like 42.

While the mercury is exceeding 40 degrees for the 10th consecutive day in the state's west today, temperatures along the coast are being moderated by a sea breeze. Sydney's 28C at midday was close to 20 degrees cooler than Wilcannia.

If Wilcannia manages to reach its forecast top of 47 today, this will be their hottest day in four years.

Coastal dwellers have been lucky to escape the hottest weather so far today, although things will take a turn after the sun sets.

A poorly-timed wind change should push out the prevailing sea breeze and may allow the mercury to reach the low thirties in some areas, including Sydney around midnight. Today's official maximum temperature in Sydney could occur in the middle of the night.

Coastal areas near Wollongong and Newcastle could experience a similarly odd night as the warm change spreads along the central coast under the cover of darkness.

A cooler southerly change will flush heat out of western New South Wales this afternoon and tonight, before reaching the central coast on Saturday morning. Cooler conditions will spread into the state's northeast by Sunday.

- Weatherzone

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