Sydney has endured its hottest October day on record, with temperatures climbing sharply this afternoon after a relatively mild start to the day.

In the city’s west, Penrith saw temperatures soar to 39.5 degrees Celsius, while Bankstown in the south-west reached a scorching 39.8 degrees, marking record highs for both areas.

Amidst the sweltering conditions, firefighters have been placed on high alert. The dangerous mix of strong winds and extreme heat has heightened the risk of bushfires across parts of New South Wales.

A total fire ban has been implemented for several regions, including the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Upper Central West Plains, Greater Hunter, and the Greater Sydney areas, in an effort to mitigate potential fire outbreaks.

Despite these precautions, some individuals have ignored the warnings. Earlier today, a group of teenage boys started a fire in the bushland near Lake Parramatta, a popular spot for swimmers.

This morning a group lit a fire in bushland next to Lake Parramatta where people were swimming.

The teenagers were seen throwing pieces of paper into the flames however the fire did not spread.

The teenage boys were spoken to by police but they were not fined.

NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Trent Curtin said high temperatures combined with strong winds could lead to high fire danger in many parts of the state, while others could be at risk of extreme fire danger conditions.

“Homes in and around grassed areas, and bush areas of NSW, need to make sure they’re prepared, they understand the conditions today and they take steps to protect themselves.”

NSW Ambulance Chief Superintendent Steve Vaughan said residents should take care, particularly more vulnerable members of the community, during the heatwave.

“Those who are over 65, pregnant women, babies, young children and those with pre-existing medical conditions,” Vaughan said.

“They should be aware of the forecasted temperatures and take appropriate action to stay safe.”

A thunderstorm is expected to roll over Sydney this evening, bringing some reprieve to residents with cooler temperatures.

Records tumble in NSW and Queensland

Both NSW and Queensland broke their October temperature record by close to a degree yesterday as temperatures soared well beyond 40 degrees Celsius.

Birdsville in the deep Queensland outback near the border with South Australia hit 46.1 degrees, an entire degree more than the previous record set in 1995.

It’s also the eighth-hottest October temperature ever recorded in Australia, and the only figure in the top 10 from outside of Western Australia.

In NSW, Bourke hit 44.8 degrees, almost a full degree more than the 1919 mark of 43.9 set in the same place.

Weatherzone said there were several local monthly heat records across the eastern states, including Queensland’s Thargomindah hitting 45.1, obliterating its previous October maximum by a full two degrees, and Tibooburra in NSW climbing to 42.8 degrees, 0.2 degrees hotter than the previous mark.

Records aren’t officially declared until 9am the following day but there was no chance of the daily maximums being exceeded overnight. 

“Take action now to protect your life and property,” the Rural Fire Service warned yesterday.

“These are dangerous fire conditions. Check your bushfire plan and ensure that your property is fire-ready.

“If a fire starts, take immediate action. If you and your property are not prepared to the highest level, go to a safer location well before the fire impacts.”

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Angus Hines said there was a “bubble” of heat through the eastern interior of the country, covering western Queensland, north-western NSW and northern South Australia.

“The interior is seeing these incredibly hot temperatures, including a top of 31 degrees as the minimum for Thargominhad in the far south-west of Queensland,” he said yesterday afternoon.

“Then after a warm morning, there’s going to be a warm day.”