Asia & Pacific
Australia's weather forecaster said temperatures in the New South Wales capital, were set to hit 33 degrees Celsius, nearly 13 degrees above average.
A man walks through a park with the Sydney Opera House in the background on the first day of spring in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 1, 2026. (Reuters/Hollie Adams )
Australia's most populous city Sydney baked in a burst of sweltering spring heat on Saturday, raising the risk of bushfires and prompting authorities to issue a ban on lighting fires.The heat comes as a powerful El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific, expected to be among the strongest in decades, drives hotter and drier conditions across southern Australia during the September-November spring season.
On Saturday, the nation's weather forecaster said temperatures in the New South Wales capital, home to 5.6 million people, were set to hit 33 degrees Celsius, nearly 13 degrees above average.
