The worst of the hot weather is over for now, but temperatures will still remain above 35 degrees for the rest of the week.
After an a string of hot days, today proved to be a real scorcher with a top of 42.9 degrees reached in Penrith at 4pm.
And while a little bit of relief is coming, locals are being warned to be prepared for very warm days ahead.
It’ll reach 39 degrees tomorrow, 38 on Wednesday, 37 on Thursday and 35 on Friday, when some rain is also predicted.
Another warm weekend is also tipped with tops of 36 on Saturday and 35 on Sunday.
The Penrith Cycling Club has cancelled its planned race meet tonight due to the extreme weather, while Endeavour Energy cancelled planned maintenance outages in the local area.
And locals looking to cool down with some frozen yogurt may be disappointed – Yogurtland in Jamisontown is closed today due to “technical difficulties”.
It’s also set to be a tough ride home for commuters, many of whom will be on non-air conditioned trains as the temperatures stay above 40 degrees.
Some commuters have taken to social media to complain about a lack of air conditioning on local bus services.
@BusesWest how is it possible that there are buses in Penrith that do NOT have aircon? #dontleavekidsandpetsinhotcars #whataboutcustomers
— Fiona Learned (@flearned) January 22, 2018
Police are reminding people not to leave pets or children inside cars on hot days, as the consequences can potentially be fatal.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.