Two men have died after being pulled from the water at Frankston beach in Victoria amid wild weather, police confirmed on Wednesday. The men, yet to be identified, were found unresponsive just after 5pm and could not be revived.
Meanwhile, parts of Sydney experienced record-breaking October heat, with Observatory Hill peaking at 37C at 1.54pm, though below the forecast 39C. Other areas, including Bankstown airport and Penrith Lakes, recorded their highest October temperatures, reaching 39.8C and 39.5C respectively.
Victoria bore the brunt of a low-pressure system, with damaging winds up to 130km/h forecast along the south-west coast. Mount Gellibrand recorded gusts of 120km/h, while Port Fairy, Portland and Warrnambool saw winds above 90km/h. The State Emergency Service received 556 requests for assistance by 4.30pm, mostly for fallen trees.
Severe weather warnings were in place across Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and the NSW coast. A watch and act warning was issued for coastal areas from the South Australian border to Codrington, urging residents to take shelter. Total fire bans were in place across greater Sydney, greater Hunter, Illawarra and Shoalhaven due to hot and windy conditions driving extreme fire danger.
NSW Health reminded people to take precautions against heat-related illness, advising to stay indoors during the hottest times, close blinds early, and stay hydrated. The extreme heat in NSW and Queensland, and damaging winds in the south, followed Tuesday's record-breaking October temperatures, with Birdsville in Queensland reaching 46.1C and Bourke in NSW climbing to 44.8C.
