Sydney reaches 33C in potentially warmest start to spring since mid-1800s, while snow forecast in southern NSW

People flock to Bondi beach as the temperature hit 33C in parts of Sydney on Saturday. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian View image in fullscreen People flock to Bondi beach as the temperature hit 33C in parts of Sydney on Saturday. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian Sydney reaches 33C in potentially warmest start to spring since mid-1800s, while snow forecast in southern NSW A total fire ban is in place for greater Sydney with extreme fire danger exacerbated , free app or daily news podcast Summer heat is due to arrive early across much of eastern Australia with potentially record early September temperatures predicted for Brisbane and Sydney, while snow was expected in southern New South Wales. Maximum temperatures in Sydney during the first days of September were on track to match the city’s midsummer average of 26.4C, warmer than any other start to spring since the city’s Observatory Hill station opened in 1858. Suburbs across Sydney were expected to reach up to 33C on Saturday afternoon, smashing average September records 13C. The temperature in Badgerys Creek reached 33C shortly before 2pm, while Observatory Hill hit 32.1C a short time later. BoM forecasts strongest El Niño on record as research points to ‘alarming’ climate change influence The meteorologist Tom Saunders said a gusty north-westerly airstream blowing south from the northern interior would lift maximums this weekend 13C above the average. The highest anomalies were set to affect the NSW coast. “For Sydney, it’s likely to be the hottest day this early in spring on record and for the first five days of September we’re on track to average a top of 27 degrees that matches the midsummer average,” he told ABC News. “Temperatures this spring will average as much as three degrees above the baseline from recent decades, potentially the hottest spring on record.” the Australia emailThe warm, dry and windy conditions would cause fire dangers to spike. A total fire ban was in place for the greater Sydney region, where extreme fire danger was forecast. The dramatic – and potentially dangerous – start to Australia’s spring extended across much of the continent, with damaging winds that could bring down trees and roofs in South Australia, and minor to moderate flooding for parts of Victoria and Tasmania. Meanwhile, in southern NSW, live cameras appeared to show snow falling late on Saturday morning in Thredbo in the Snowy Mountains.