Sydney experiences its hottest day on record: a blistering 45.8 degrees Celsius

Sydney, Australia is experiencing its hottest day on record at a blistering 45.8 degrees Celsius. 

Other areas are even hotter: Penrith, west of Sydney, registered at 46.5C Friday, BBC News reported. 

The previous record in Sydney was 45.3C, measured at Observatory Hill in January 1939.

A cold front that came in Friday night brought more extreme weather, as thunderstorms and damaging winds of up to 100 kilometers an hour pummeled the capital, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. 

"It went from the mid-30s to mid-20s in the space of five to 10 minutes in most areas," said Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecaster Jake Phillips. 

Meanwhile, damaging bushfires continued to rage across Australia due to the unusually high temperatures.  

"This extreme heat, combined with strong, gusty winds ahead of the cool change, will prove particularly challenging for firefighters who have been battling blazes for two weeks now," Assistant director of Weather Services Alasdair Hainsworth told the Australian. 

At least one person has died from the fires so far, Sky News reported. 

"It's a very dangerous environment we're experiencing today," Victoria Country Fire Authority operations manager Bill Johnstone said. "Given the conditions, it's probably as bad as it can get."

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