Unusually hot weather during the month of Month is relatively common. Such conditions occurred during March of 2024 and has again occurred during March 2025.
For a period spanning four days between March 13 and March 16 2025, much of Western Sydney endured maximum daytime temperatures well into the 30s and even reaching the high 30s at times.
When looking at this more closely, it can be revealed that it reached 36C or higher on three of those days culminating in the heat of Sunday March 16.
This is shown within the table below at selected locations across Sydney.
| Location | 13 March | 14 March | 15 March | 16 March |
| Horsley Park | 32.4C | 36.7C | 36.6C | 37.8C |
| Parramatta | 31C | 34.2C | 34.5C | 36.8C |
| Penrith | 32.2C | 36.4C | 38.3C | 37.4C |
| Sydney Airport | 30C | 34.2C | 34.1C | 39.3C |
When looking into the conditions of Sunday, a very interesting picture emerges which is repeated at numerous official weather station sites across Sydney:
Horsley Park - Sunday peak is 37.8C.
- 10 am - Temperature reaches 30.5C.
- 10 pm - Temperature is still at 30.4C (This is 12 hours above 30C).
- 1 am (Monday morning) - 29.1C.
- 1.30am (Monday morning) - 28.4C - The cool changes arrives at this time and a cooling trend commences as cooler winds pass through.
Penrith - Sunday peak is 37.4C
- 10 am - Temperature reaches 31.8C.
- 7 pm - Temperature is still at 30.1C (This is 9 hours above 30C).
- 12 am (Monday morning) - Back to 30.6C after cooling slightly.
- 12.30am (Monday morning) - 30.5C.
- 1 am (Monday morning) - 29C - The cool change arrives at 1.30 am and a cooling trend commences as cooler winds pass through.
Sydney airport - Sunday peak is 39.3C
- 10 am - Temperature reaches 31.9C.
- 11 pm - Temperature is still at 32.7C (This is 13 hours above 30C).
- 11.30 pm (A brief dip to 29.8C).
- Midnight -Temperature back up to 30.7C.
- 12.30 am (Monday morning) - 24C - The cool change passes through.
This is repeated right across Sydney resulting in a difficult evening for sleep until the cool change had passed over.
On a wider scale, this was part of a much broader outbreak of heat and even an inland heatwave that has enveloped inland regions. The cool change of Sunday broke the run of heat. Certain inland centres have sweltered through a long period of intense heat including but not limited to:
Bourke (Western NSW)
For the first 16 days of March, daily maximum temperatures have peaked above 30C which is part of a longer continuous run spanning 28 days where daily maximum temperatures exceeded 30C. This includes 7 days above 40C during the period (17 February to March 16) including:
- March 14 - 38.2C.
- March 15 - 39.5C.
- March 16 - 39.7C.
The inland heat has resulted in places like Parkes (Central West New South Wales) also having 16 days over 30C between March 1 and March 16 including 38.2C on March 15.
The heat passed over South Australia and Victoria providing high temperatures at Bendigo, Castlemaine and Casterton (Victoria) where 37C to 39C were commonplace on March 15.
Mildura (Mallee of Northwest Victoria)
The regional city of Mildura in North Western Victoria was by far the hottest location anywhere within Victoria between March 11 and March 16 as having peak daytime temperatures of:
- March 11 - 37.4C.
- March 12 - 37.9C
- March 13 - 37.4C
- March 14 - 40.2C
- March 15 - 41.2c
- March 16 - 29.2C (Cool change passes through).
Swan Hill also had 41.3C on March 15 and Echuca had 39.9C on the same day.
With the cool change sweeping through during the 15 and 16 March, such high temperatures are not expected to occur again until next summer.
The above shows how strong the most recent heat was.
Two plots have been prepared on "Water and the Land" showing the maximum temperature and maximum temperature anomaly for the State of New South Wales for Sunday. This shows how strong the Sunday burst of heat was throughout the state.
Feature image attached above - Sunset Western Sydney September 2024 looking west from Blacktown.