20 Nov 2015

Sydney set to swelter today

11:30 am on 20 November 2015

Sydney is bracing for severe heat today with temperatures predicted to reach 41°C.

And as New South Wales prepares for severe weather police have reactivated their arson taskforce.

houses and skyline - Sydney, Australia (undated)

Photo: 123RF

Emergency services have been placed on high alert before expected near record-breaking temperatures and strong gusty winds, which could turn much of the state into a tinderbox.

The forecast Sydney maximum of 41°C for Sydney is less than one degree short of the November record of 41.8°C , set in 1982.

The extreme heat, expected across much of the state, has been caused by a cold front, moving up from the south, meeting a sluggish high pressure system over the Tasman Sea.

It is expected to suck hot, dry air from central Australia into NSW.