Sydney records highest temperature in eight decades

The people of Sydney on Sunday suffered the city's highest-ever recorded temperature in the last eight decades.

The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed on Monday that Penrith, a locality in the city, had reached the highest temperature on earth in the past 24 hours when it touched 47.3 degrees yesterday afternoon, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.

"It looks like it is the highest temperature recorded in the Sydney area in 80 years," said Jacob Cronje, a senior meteorologist with the Weatherzone.

High temperatures, coupled with high humidity, made the day unpleasant for most people in the city. It was also reported that most of them, especially the elderly, needed medical attention after suffering massive sunstrokes.

Cronje added that while record-breaking temperatures were unlikely in the next few weeks, he however, said that temperatures would breach the 40-degree mark for the next two to three days.

The mercury failed to drop below 22 degrees overnight in Sydney, as humidity oscillated between 70-80 percent throughout.

The Penrith observatory recorded a minimum of above 30 degrees Celsius, with humidity as high as 91 percent.

According to the country's meteorological department, Sydney's localities - Parramatta, Liverpool and Richmond recorded maximum temperatures of around 40, 39 and 41 degrees Celsius respectively.

Penrith recorded a maximum of 42 degrees today. Sydney, overall, recorded a maximum of 36 degrees today, compared to 44 degrees on Sunday, as reported by the Met department.

Rains are expected across the Sydney region, after 24-48 hours, with chances of thunderstorms as well.

A total fire ban remains in place for the entire region and in Australia, although the fire danger rating was downgraded from severe to very high on Monday.

Record-breaking high temperatures are a common feature in many cities in Australia during the summers.