It was a tough first day back at school for local students today with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees in Penrith.
And they’ll get little relief for most of the week with the mercury to drop only a handful of degrees in the coming days.
Penrith was sitting at 41.8 degrees at 2pm this afternoon, and it is likely to still be 41 degrees at 6pm tonight. Even at 9pm it’ll still be 35 degrees.
Temperatures will only be a little better tomorrow with a forecast top of 39 degrees in Penrith, while it’ll drop to 33 degrees by Wednesday.
The reprieve will only last a few days with Penrith preparing for a scorcher of a weekend – 39 degrees on Saturday and a whopping 43 degrees on Sunday.
The highest temperature reached this month in Penrith was 45.1 degrees on January 18.
Local residents are being reminded to never leave pets or children in hot cars, as the results can 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.