Sydneysiders will get some relief from summer-like warmth on Saturday that had people flock to the beaches, before a return of fierce heat on Sunday.
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A tussle between hot northerly winds and sea breezes helped limit city temperatures to a top of 34 degrees on Friday, ahead of a milder maximum of 26 degrees forecast for Saturday.
The timing and strength of cooler onshore flows will also determine whether Sunday's expected top of 35 degrees predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology will be exceeded.
There was potential for 39 degrees in the CBD on Sunday, Weatherzone meteorologist Guy Dixon said, adding that western suburbs were looking at their hottest five-day run in November in at least two deacdes.
While the city's east escaped the worst of Friday's burst of heat, western regions recorded temperatures close to or above 40 degrees. Bankstown's top of 40.4 degrees was about 15 degrees above the November average.
At least 16 fire crews were battling a large fire at an industrial site containing timber and scaffolding in Lansvale near Liverpool on Friday afternoon. Thick black smoke and temperatures remaining in the mid-30s until Friday evening added to difficulties for firefighters.
While mid-to-high 20s are expected across the west on Saturday, places such as Ryde and Parramatta will be scorched by 39 degrees temperatures on Sunday.
Penrith's forecast top of 43 degrees for that day is in line with that site's record set in 1997, according to bureau records going back to1995.
Residents will get little reprieve at night, with temperatures for most parts of the city likely to remain above 19 degrees until at least Tuesday.
Fire danger ratings have been pared back after Friday's Total Fire Ban for the Sydney Metropolitan area. Fire risks will drop to "high" on Saturday from Friday's "severe" but are likely to be elevated again on Sunday.
A Rural Fire Service spokesman said 27 fires were burning across the state as of late Friday, nine of them yet to be contained.
While Sydney is heading for another month with temperatures above the long-run average, it is far from alone.
United States authorities have confirmed last month was the hottest October on record globally. If November and December make it into the top 10 warmest for those months, 2014 will be the hottest year on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
with Michael Koziol
Weatherzone is owned by Fairfax Media, publisher of this website.