Real Climate Records

After the hottest night in living memory Sydney woke with the thermometer rising to break the record with 108.6 at 9.35 a.m. At 1.30 p.m. it was 113.6.

A strong southerly change, which should restore coolness to Sydney, is expected about seven o’clock to night, the State Meteorologist (Mr. Marcs) announced this afternoon.

The wind is moving up the coast and should prove the vanguard of the long-awaited change, for which the heat-swept State has been waiting. The southerly should be of four or five hours duration, and, as the disturbance which has been moving across from the south-west should have become established in the southern inland districts by to-morrow, it is not likely that there will be a repetition of high temperatures in the city, added Mr. Mares. Sunday afternoon should see the advent of a further southerly, with rain and thunder.

Mr. Mares issued a strong warning to fire-fighters to beware of the approaching southerly.”Loss of life might result if the greatest care is not taken,” he said. “If men are working on the northern and western side of a fire, and the wind changes, then they will, and themselves face to face with a grave danger.

“They must be prepared for such a change, which, I believe, should reach Sydney towards nightfall— probably at 7 p.m.”

Last night. Mr. Newman said, was easily the worst In official records. During the past 24 hours, the lowest minimum reading was 79.1 — and that was registered at. 1.10 pm yesterday Sydney’s highest temperature of recent years was 105.6 in January. 1932. The highest ever recorded until to-day was 108.5 in January, 1936.

At 8 a.m. it was 101.3— a record tor such an early hour. When at 9.35 the thermometer at the Weather Bureau touched 108.6 degrees it passed the city’s previous high of 108.5 From then on the mercury mounted steadily, until at 1.30 p.m. it had touched 113:6 degrees — one of the highest temperatures recorded in any part of the State. At 1 p.m. the temperature at Ivanhoe — a claimant for the title of the hottest town in the State — was only 110 degrees.

Unofficial readings tell the story of the heat wave in the various outer suburbs.

Blacktown touched 116 at 11 a.m and 118 at 1 p.m. A noon reading of 115 told of mounting temperatures at the Spit. Balmoral was 106 at 10 a.m., and at that hour Ashfleid 110.

Mortlake registered 114 at 11 a.m. and 116 at 12.30.

No Coolness By Sea

The seaside suburb Manly showed 114 at noon. The intensity of the heat through out the night can be gauged by the fact that at 1 a.m., the official Weather Bureau reading was 90.1 degrees.

Hourly temperature readings during the night were:—

5 p.m 82.3. 0 p.m 80.0, 7 p.m. 80.40 p.m. 83.0, 10 p.m. 88.3. 10.15 p.m 90.3. 11 p.m. 88.5. midnight 89.3. 1 a.m 89.8. 3 a.m 89.5 4 a.m. 87.0. 6 a.m 89.1 7 a.m 04.9 9 a.m. 101.3

A sudden change of wind to the north-west, as a result of the eastward movement of the pressure system that is expected to bring cooling relief to the State, was responsible for the advent of the dry heat to Sydney.

The wind changed yesterday afternoon. and for the first time since the commencement of the heat wave.

Sydney received the full blast of the inland furnace heat.