Australia, insurance, car, home, live, holidays

Sydneysiders are expected to flock to the beach on Friday with 34 degrees expected for the city and 45 degrees in the west.Credit:James Alcock

"It's vitality important that people take these warnings and take really simple precautions to protect themselves from the heat,"he said.

Sydney's heat is expected to peak on Friday with 34 degrees expected for the city and 45 degrees in the west,with record-breaking temperatures upwards of 45 degrees in the NSW Riverina region,the Bureau of Meteorology's weather services manager Jane Golding said.

"We are expecting that heat to creep towards its highest over the next couple of days with little respite before the weekend,"she said.

Sydney is expected to feel the brunt of the heat on Friday as temperatures peak.Credit:BoM

Records have also broken overnight,with minimum temperatures only getting down to 33.2 degrees in the Menindee,days after a mass fish kill in the Darling River.

"And that's just in the short term,as the event unfolds we will certainly have some more daytime temperatures exceeded close to the coast,"Ms Golding said.

South Australia is also experiencing record-breaking heat,with 49 degrees recorded at Tarcoola.

Australia's highest recorded temperature of 50.7 degrees was at Oodnadatta,South Australia,in January 1960.

A lack of cloud cover and a hot air mass over the interior of NSW means temperatures will continue to soar inland,with temperatures expected to push 47 degrees in regional NSW at the peak of the heatwave.

On Tuesday,Hay Airport recorded a temperature of 47.2 degrees,with 38.7 degrees recorded for Greater Sydney at Richmond.

Police are also concerned about people leaving children and animals unattended in cars,even for a short period,as the heatwave worsens.

"It can be just as dangerous to leave the elderly and disabled members of the community in cars during days of extreme heat,"NSW Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy said.

A total fire ban is in place for the Southern Slopes and Southern Ranges on Tuesday with the NSW Rural Fire Service urging people to review their fire plans.

License this article