Temperatures in Sydney are set to hit 30C at the end of the week, with a band of heat forecast to stretch from Bega to the Hunter Valley on the New South Wales coast.
Dylan Bird from the Bureau of Meteorology said that from Friday until Monday, large parts of NSW would experience temperatures 10-14C above average, possibly peaking at 30C in Sydney.
The warm weather is being caused by a high-pressure system over south-east Australia with northerly winds pushing warm air south-eastwards from Queensland and central Australia.
“It’s the first real warmth since last warm season,” Bird said. “We will get a front or a trough to clear the heat eventually, but not until Tuesday or Wednesday next week.”
Sydney Marathon runners will take on the unseasonal heat as well as 42.195km on Sunday. About 40,000 runners are expected to compete across multiple events, with the full marathon drawing more than 14,000 runners.
Weatherzone predicted marathon start-time temperatures of 17-19C, rising to 28C by the close of race. Average temperatures for the month of the event range from 11C to a high of 20C.
Smoke from hazard reduction burns in the Sydney area and the predicted warm weather were both on marathon organisers’ minds on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Sydney Marathon race director, Wayne Larden, said organisers were working with the Rural Fire Service and the BoM ahead of Sunday’s race.
“Sydney Marathon has taken several precautionary steps, including increasing the availability of hydration capacity and medical assistance points along the course. This is in addition to the existing rigorous safety protocols and medical support available on course,” he said.
He said the RFS was working to minimise the impact on the Sydney Marathon.
A high of 27.9C was recorded on marathon day in 2019 – while the year before, in 2018, the marathon took place on a day that reached just 17.4C, according to BoM charts.
The bureau has not yet declared an El Niño for the summer ahead, but Bird said the agency was observing climate criteria closely and that the phenomenon, now given a 70% chance of emerging, was “very likely”.
It forecasts a hotter, drier summer for much of Australia, owing to the likely El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole development.
Sydney residents have been told to prepare for a high risk of bushfires this summer, while prolific vegetation growth has added to fuel loads as bushfire season approaches.
