City to wilt in 41-degree heatThe global warming bet you can't lose
Sydney is in for scorching weather on Friday as a slow-moving high-pressure system steers a huge hot air mass formed over Australia's Red Centre into the country's south-east. 
The Bureau of Meteorology said temperatures were expected to soar to 41 degrees in the city on Friday, pushing the mercury to levels reached only once before in   November - back in 1982, when it hit 41.8 degrees.
"We're in a scenario that a record is possible [on Friday]," Michael Logan, the bureau's severe weather manager for NSW, said. "We'll certainly go close."
If the sea breezes are kept at bay as expected, temperatures will be fairly uniform across the Sydney Basin. Bondi is expected to reach 41 degrees, as is Penrith, some 50 kilometres to the west.
A 40-plus reading would be enough to make it Sydney's hottest three-day spell in   November in 79 years, Weatherzone said.
Fire risks rise
Much of inland NSW is likely to see temperatures in the low 40s, elevating fire risks. 
The arrival of a strong southerly change may also complicate efforts to control any fires that are underway as winds pick up.
"It'll be a pretty classic set-up", Mr Logan said, noting that the hot westerly winds will make way for a strong southerly busters.
For Sydney, the relief will arrive  about 8pm to 9pm on Friday, with southern suburbs the first to benefit, he said. Wind speeds may reach 55km/h along the coast in the evening.
Total fire bans will again be in place for the Riverina on Friday, while the same restrictions will be in place in the Illawarra/Shoalhaven and southern ranges. The fire danger rating will be extreme in the eastern and northern Riverina, the Rural Fire Service said.
People should avoid being outdoors if possible after about 11am and avoid physical activity as much as possible, NSW Health has advised. Alcohol, hot and sugary drinks should also be avoided.

 A spokesman for the NSW Department of Education said that there were no plans to close schools due to heat on Friday, dispelling a myth that there is a set temperature that forces a school to close.
"Schools are closed only in extreme circumstances, such as during fire or flood or for health and safety reasons. Hot weather is generally not considered to be an emergency," he said.
"Schools have a duty of care to students and releasing them early can be problematic for parents and they could possibly be exposed to greater temperatures outside and in their homes."
The department recommends sending children to school with a frozen water bottle and a hat - and applying sunscreen before they leave home.
The heatwave's impact may be cumulative, with some western suburbs enduring their third day in the mid-30s or higher. Holsworthy, Bankstown and Richmond all topped 38 degrees on Thursday, while the city itself peaked at a milder 30.5 degrees.
with Eryk Bagshaw