A low-intensity heatwave is punishing Western NSW including Dubbo.
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The Bureau of Meteorology’s seven-day forecast for Dubbo as of Wednesday predicts a top temperature of 36 degrees Celsius on Thursday, 35 degrees on Friday and 34 degrees on Saturday.
Towns in the north-west of the region will cop 40-degree days before the heatwave is over.
Top temperatures in Dubbo across the next few days will exceed average maximum temperatures for the summer months of December, January and February.
They are 31.4 degrees, 33.3 degrees and 32.1 degrees, respectively.
On Wednesday, Bureau of Meteorology NSW/ACT manager of weather services Jake Phillips said the heat was already building in the west of the state and it would continue to intensify “over the next day or two” while at the same time spreading east.
“One of the characteristics of heatwaves is not just hotter maximum temperatures but also hotter minimums,” he said.
Dubbo can expect minimum temperatures of 18 degrees on Thursday, 22 degrees on Friday and 20 degrees on Saturday, compared with the average morning temperature for November of 13.5 degrees.
Mr Phillips said the current heatwave was the first of the season and “coming off the back of relatively mild conditions”.
“It will potentially have more impact on the community than normal for a low intensity heatwave,” he said.
The heatwave is the result of hot air in central Australia moving into NSW.
The bureau and NSW Ambulance are advising people of all ages to be aware of the symptoms of heat exhaustion including nausea, faintness, dizziness, loss of appetite, weakness, headache and vomiting.
“Heat can kill which is why it’s so important to stay hydrated and look out for the elderly, the young and pets,” NSW Ambulance chief superintendent Alan Morrison said.
The bureau is forecasting 40 degrees on Thursday and Friday at Wilcannia, on Friday at Tibooburra and on Saturday at Brewarrina.
Walgett is expecting a top of 41 degrees on Saturday.
