Power outages could hit parts of New South Wales and Queensland this week, with western Sydney expected to reach 40C on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The severe heat wave will result in the hottest spring on record in four years.
The heatwave is expected to sweep across Sydney, the Hunter and Illawarra regions. The Central Coast, Mid-North Coast and South Coast are also expected to be affected.
What temperature will it be and how long will it last?
The spring heatwave will see temperatures rise up to 40C in Sydney.
Parts of western Sydney, including Penrith and Richmond, are expected to reach 40C on Wednesday.
Eastern Sydney will experience a low-intensity heatwave with lows of 20°C and highs above 30°C.
The hottest will be on Wednesday when it is expected to reach 33 degrees.
Gosford, on the central coast, will reach 31°C on Tuesday and 34°C on Wednesday, while Nowra, on the NSW south coast, will be even hotter, reaching 34°C on Tuesday and 35°C on Wednesday.
The forecast is above the spring average, with Richmond a whopping 12°C above its November average high of 27°C and Sydney 7°C above the monthly average of 24°C.
Temperatures are expected to ease on Friday, with Sydney expected to be drenched in rain for the rest of the week.
Why might there be power outages?
Increased use of air conditioning and generator repairs at three NSW coal-fired power stations threaten to shut down the grid in some areas.
“High temperatures and high demand for electricity, combined with some generation outages, are leading to tight electricity supply forecasts in NSW tomorrow and Wednesday afternoon,” a spokesperson said from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
Planned outages at a number of these coal plants have been averted after the operator issued a warning that low energy reserves could lead to power outages in large parts of New South Wales and of Queensland.
The combination of increased air conditioning use and generator repairs at three NSW coal-fired power stations has raised concerns about possible grid outages in some areas. But AEMO confirmed on Monday evening that the worst had been avoided.
“AEMO remains focused on maintaining electricity reliability in New South Wales and Queensland this week, as high temperatures are expected to drive high energy demand amid significant power unavailability. production in New South Wales,” a statement said.
But there are still fears that power outages could occur.
The energy operator issued an alert for a forecast shortage of reserve (LOR) in both states from Tuesday to Wednesday afternoon, with NSW facing the highest level of risk, an LOR 3 forecast.
This was then downgraded to a less critical LOR 2.
Power outages are most likely to occur between 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with people advised to limit their electricity use if it is safe to do so.
NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe has urged residents to rethink their energy use.
“Do you really need to turn on all the lights in the house…do you need to turn your air conditioning down to 19 degrees? You don’t,” she said.
Here’s how to stay safe during a heatwave
People have been warned to stay safe during this intense heatwave, which can be particularly dangerous for many people, including pregnant people, babies, the elderly and people with health problems.
“You should drink water, you should check on your neighbors and ask yourself if you should go out in the middle of the day in the hot sun,” Sharpe said.
Residents have also been encouraged to rethink their energy and air conditioning usage during this time to ease pressure on the system, but only if it is safe for them to do so.
Here are some tips for dealing with a heatwave:
- Use air conditioning or a fan.
- Opt for light, loose clothing.
- Keep your skin moist using a spray bottle or a damp sponge.
- Take cool showers or foot baths in cool tap water.
- Wrap the ice cubes in a damp towel and wrap them around your neck.
- Consider spending time in cool places like air-conditioned shopping malls or libraries.
- Avoid vigorous physical activity.
With additional reporting from AAP.
