No, you did not imagine it — Tuesday was hot in Sydney, with Penrith in the city's west hitting its hottest December temperature on record.
The gauge hit 44.1 degrees Celsius in Penrith, the highest ever recorded for the first month of summer.
Meanwhile in the beachside suburb of Bondi, the sea breezes were hard at work cooling the iconic location to a reasonable 29C.
Out much further west in NSW, Bourke was the hottest spot in the state, having a scorching 45C maximum day.
A scheduled blackout in the remote community of Wanaaring, tipped to also hit 45C, did not faze residents used to the heat.
"We've got a backup generator to look after the fridges and the air-conditioner and some of our visitors are down at the river doing some fishing and splashing around," said Wanaaring resident Rosanne Standfield.
With more than 200 homes affected, power company Essential Energy kept it quick, replacing faulty equipment in good time.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the daytime and night time temperatures were "well above average", with a slow-moving high-pressure system directing hot northerly winds across the state.
BOM said a cold front expected on Wednesday and Thursday would bring some relief from the heat.
Sydney is forecast to reach a top of 36C, Penrith is expected to hit 42C, Parramatta 39C and Bondi 34C.
A total fire ban has been declared on Wednesday for the Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney and North Western regions of the state, including the cities and towns of Cessnock, Maitland, Newcastle, Singleton, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Moree Plains, Walgett and Warrumbungle.
The Rural Fire Service advises people to prepare their homes, follow survival plans and to keep informed by tuning into local radio and news.
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