THINGS are heating up across NSW, with temperatures tipped to hit 30C in Sydney this afternoon and 34C further west.

Weather experts say warm, dry winds blowing in from the north-west are fuelling the unseasonally hot conditions, pushing the mercury 10C above the September average.

It marks a balmy end to a September which already figures among the warmest starts to spring since records began.

Summer temperatures predicted for Sydney today

DAILY TELEGRAPH WEATHER CHANNEL

Weatherwatch meteorologist Don White said that while the month hadn’t been as hot as last year’s scorching September, it still followed the trend of monthly averages climbing, year-on-year.

“Last September was the all-time record but with two days to go it looks like this year’s will still be up in the top 10 per cent of all Septembers,” he said.

“And we’re expecting those above-average temperatures to continue through most of spring.”

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts Sydney will reach 30C in the CBD today and 32C in Penrith, climbing to 33C tomorrow across the city.

media_camera Crowds hit the beach at Manly today as the mercury soared.

Bourke, in the north-west of the state, will hit 34C today and 35C tomorrow.

“A north-westerly wind will be coming down and it has been very sunny over inland Australia, so it has been warming up in recent weeks,” Mr White said.

“The air mass coming down from the north-west keeps out any sea breeze, and that’s why temperatures in Sydney will push up to levels they haven’t been since last summer.”

media_camera School holiday crowds caused Sydney beaches to swell.

The mini-heatwave should act as a timely reminder of the official start of the bushfire season, which kicks off on October 1.

More than 50 local government areas across the state are already on bushfire alert after their season was brought forward a month due to dangerously dry conditions.

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