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Sydney weather: Energy Minister pleads for help to avoid heatwave power blackout

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Authorities are pleading for public help to avoid blackouts and limit fire risks as a record-breaking heatwave sets in across eastern Australia.

The threat of power shortages later on Friday remains real, with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) warning that forecast demand for 5-6pm would exceed supply by 77 megawatts. The agency has called for a "market response" and will determine if it needs to intervene.

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"Catastrophic" fire ratings are likely for parts of NSW on Sunday. Such a threat level has been issued only once before in NSW - in 2013 - since national standardised ratings were introduced in 2009.

Saturday could also be the state's hottest February day on record as an approaching front drags hot air southwards from central Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement

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Don Harwin, NSW's Energy Minister, called on residents to reduce electricity use, particularly during Friday's late afternoon peak when power demand may hit record highs.

"Where you can please do your best to save energy - turn up your aircon to 26 degrees, adjust fridge temperatures, switch off unused electrical appliances and turn off lights where it's safe to do so," Mr Harwin said, adding that the government was also looking to cut usage where it can.

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Overnight, the AEMO renewed its request for a "market response" for additional capacity for NSW and also called for more supply for Queensland for 4.30-5pm Friday, local time.

Scorching temperatures

South Australia bore the early brunt of the heat, with power shortages on Wednesday evening triggering load shedding that blacked out tens of thousands of homes for about half an hour. Those cuts also reignited debate over the role of renewable energy, although locally available gas-fired power went unused.

The state avoided a repeat of the outages on Thursday even as the mercury climbed to as high as 48.2 degrees at Tarcoola, matching South Australia's record for February.

That heat is shifting slowly eastwards and will push large areas of NSW into the 40s for three days from Friday. Bourke in the state's north-west may notch the highest temperatures, with 47 forecast for Saturday.

For Sydney, a top of 38 degrees is predicted. Such a reading would be the city's 10th day above 35 degrees this summer, beating a record set in 1895-96 of nine such days. The tally may climb to 11 by Saturday, with 39 degrees predicted for the city.

As of 11.20am, the mercury had touched 33.6 degrees in the city. More hot days increase the likelihood that Sydney will post its hottest summer after last month was its warmest single month and the previous month the second-warmest December in data that goes back to 1858.

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Sydney swelters under record heatwave

Western suburbs such as Richmond and Penrith are looking at back-to-back days reaching 44-45 degrees, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Friday's heat will place a "very high" fire threat in place for much of the state, as the mercury nudges 45 degrees or higher. (See bureau of chart below of predicted highs across south-eastern Australia.)

For Sydney and most of the coast except for the Greater Hunter region, the fire threat is rated as "high" on Friday.

Several southern districts of NSW have total fire bans in place on Friday. Hay Airport was the hottest place in the state, reaching 42.2 degrees at 11.20am.

Travel warning

Emergency Services Minister Troy Grant said urged people who had planned to visit national parks or forested areas in the coming three days to change their plans, and for motorists to avoid using back roads.

"Weather conditions will gradually get worse from today through to Sunday. The most catastrophic likely weather will be centred around the Hunter, and will run from east to west right through to the central west of NSW," he said.

"If you have activities or trips planned to national parks, to forest or areas that are prone to potential fire, we ask you to change your plans and reconsider your movements.

"Take care when you are travelling throughout the state to use main roads in preference to back roads."

NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said NSW was in for a "very difficult next three days", with the worst conditions expected on Sunday.

"Catastrophic fire danger ratings are the worst conditions that we can experience when it comes to fire danger ratings. Typically that's where we see the worst of fire behaviour, the most aggressive and rapid spread of fire," he said.

"Under those sorts of conditions, it is unlikely, unless we are there very quickly and very early, that fires that take hold, we simply won't be able to suppress. Our focus turns very much to the saving of life, the saving of property and getting as many messages and warnings out as we can in light of the conditions."

He said firefighters had access to an additional two large air tankers, which would be positioned strategically around the state to respond to any blazes.

Hospitals, homeless

As Sydney and other centres toil through another heatwave, the number of heat-related emergencies is on the increase at the state's hospitals, NSW Health said.

More than 1100 people presented to Westmead Hospital's emergency department with possible heat-related conditions in December and January alone.

The St Vincent de Paul Society, meanwhile, said people on low incomes and the homeless were particularly vulnerable during period of extreme heat.

"During these incredible periods of hot weather there are more casualties than any other disaster or emergency. Dehydration, exhaustion and strokes can directly and indirectly result in death," Jack de Groot, the society's chief executive, said.

"The sad reality is that low income earners have the highest energy costs because their homes are poorly insulated, and their fans are the cheapest to buy but are electricity guzzlers," he added.

Authorities have recommended people head to shopping centres, RSL clubs and other public places with air-conditioning if they can't stay cool at home.

With Kate Aubusson

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