Those who had not seen the forecast the previous day probably got an inkling they were in for a hot one as the mercury hovered about the 30-degree mark by 8.30am.

The fun did not stop there, as the temperature soared to 40 degrees by 11am. If that was not enough, it reached a scorching 43.2 degrees at 1.34pm, according to Weatherzone, whose observations suggested it 'felt like 50 degrees'.

So severe were the conditions, the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) requested farmers to suspend harvesting activities in some areas, including ours, during the hottest and driest part of the day.

The Orana RFS has been kept busy attending to an average of three fires a day.

As Superintendent Lyndon Weiland said earlier this week it takes just one spark from a slasher, grinder or mower to start a blaze, so we cannot be too careful.

Given the countless hours volunteers spend preparing for and fighting fires, the least we can do as community members is be vigilant and comply with RFS requests, which from all reports local farmers have done.

It can also sometimes be hard for those who were immune to scorchers like yesterday's (thanks to icy-cold airconditioning or because they were lucky enough to go for a swim) to appreciate the toll the Australian heat can take on other members of society.

It has been said before but with temperatures expected to soar to the high 30s, checking in on elderly neighbours on hot days and making sure our four-legged friends have plenty of cold water and shade are basic courtesies that can also save lives.