Sydney was the hottest place in Australia before a sudden downpour

Sydney was the hottest place in Australia for a brief moment before parts of the city faced an abrupt drenching.

Sydney was the hottest place in Australia briefly today before parts of the city faced a sudden drenching.

The weather station at Sydney Airport hit slightly above 35 degrees just before midday, making the transport hub the hottest place in the country.

The heat was due to the Sydney basin being in a prime position to receive a wave of hot north-westerly winds from the nation's interior, Weatherzone explained.

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Sydney had the nation's highest temperature just before midday today.

The rare moment was short-lived, however, as a cool change swept through Victoria and parts of NSW's western and southern regions.

The heat began to dissipate when a southerly shift started moving up the coastline, reaching Sydney's southern suburbs about 2pm and continuing to move in a northern direction. 

The shift brought 14 millimetres of rain to Sydney Olympic Park and six millimetres to the CBD. 

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Still of a timelapse of Sydney weather on February 18 2026.

Temperatures then dropped by more than 10 degrees in an hour, plummeting to 23 degrees in Sydney.

Further showers are expected across the city, including possible storms later tonight.

A strong wind warning was also issued at 4pm for parts of Sydney's harbour and the coast. 

The wet weather is expected to continue into tomorrow, with the chance of showers that are expected to clear later in the day. 

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