A grass fire is seen along the Hume Highway, north of Goulburn. The blaze prompted the closure of the road in both directions. Credit:Lisa Martin The Hume Highway has been reopened in both directions, after firefighters have spent the afternoon battling an out-of-control bushfire near the highway in the southern highlands. About half the state has been declared a Total Fire Ban day, including Sydney, Illawarra and the Hunter. The Bureau of Meteorology also issued a fire weather warning as a complex low pressure south of the Bight draws in hot air over NSW from inland Australia. The total fire ban will continue on Sunday across eight regions, including Sydney and most of the NSW coastal regions.

Wilcannia Airport in northwestern NSW was the first site in the state to cross a record 40 degrees so early in the warming season. It was the hottest point in the state, with 40.5 degrees, while at least three other sites topped 40. September heat records across 40 per cent of NSW are expected to tumble. Credit:Fiona Morris Those readings eclipsed the previous September maximum temperature record of 39.4 degrees set in Wanaaring, also in the state's north-west, on 28 September 2004. Sydney sweats Sydney was also warm, reaching a top of 32.2 degrees in the city just after 1pm.

Ansh Sambyal escapes the heat at Bilgola Beach. Credit:Cole Bennetts Inland Sydney suburbs, lacking the sea breeze relief, were considerably warmer. Richmond's 36.9 degrees marked the hottest September day since 1980, while Penrith broke records of least 20 years with 37.3 degrees. September records were also broken in Badgerys Creek, Campbelltown, and Terrey Hills, according to Kim Westcott, meteorologist at Weatherzone. Yet relief isn't coming just yet - Sydneysiders are in for a "toasty" night, with the temperature dropping slowly overnight to a minimum of 21 degrees in the city only just before sunrise, Ms Westcott said. The record high overnight temperature for September is 22 degrees.

Another 33-degree day is expected on Sunday, as strong and dry north-westerly winds will pick up in the late morning, Ms Westcott said. "We'll start to see the temperature shoot up pretty quickly again in the morning like Saturday, with a bit more sunshine," Ms Westcott said. "In most cases it will be about the same temperature as Saturday, or maybe even a little warmer in the city." Among the other areas to break records on Saturday was West Wyalong, in NSW's central west, which reached 35 degrees. Its previous September record of 34.4 degrees was set in 1980, according to Weatherzone. Mudgee also beat its existing record of 32.2 degrees from 1965, hitting 33 degrees shortly after midday on Saturday. Bourke, Bathurst and Parkes have also hit or exceeded their previous September records.

Meanwhile, in the Snowy Mountains the temperature peaked at 17.5 degrees in Perisher Valley, despite predictions of snow next week when a cool front passes through the area from Sunday. Fire risks rise A combination of hot and dry conditions has increased the risk of major bushfires. One of the worst blazes late on Saturday is a grass fire on Inverary Road in Paddys River. Up to 50 firefighters and 25 fire trucks are battling the blaze, with assistance from a number of aircraft including a large air tanker, RFS spokesman James Morris said.

The Hume Highway has been reopened in both directions, yet drivers are advised to proceed with caution due to smoke and firefighters working in the area. Fire crews will work overnight to contain the fire, and may conduct back burning operations. A total fire ban will continue on Sunday across eight regions, including Sydney and most of the NSW coastal regions, with NSW RFS expecting "another difficult day ahead". Mr Morris warned families planning to go camping during the school holidays to be aware of their surroundings and respect fire bans.

"If you're going into a fairly dense section of bush with no mobile coverage, you obviously won't be able to access fire warnings," Mr Morris said. "Be aware of your surroundings and if you're not comfortable, change your plans to somewhere a bit safer." Victoria, meanwhile, set a record for its hottest September day, with Mildura recording 37.7 degrees. As hot as Saturday is looking to be for eastern Australia, the hotter day nationwide during the current heat spell could be Friday. Average temperatures across the country came in at about 33.5 degrees, the hottest on record for September. Loading

(See Bureau chart below of heat over the country.) Weatherzone is owned by Fairfax Media, publisher of this website.