STORY: Sydney residents flocked to the beaches on Saturday (January 10) to escape a severe heatwave, whilst a mobile cooling hub was set up to provide relief for the city’s vulnerable.

Temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Sydney on Saturday, the final day of a heatwave that has swept across the country since Wednesday (January 7).

A mobile cooling hub, designed by researchers from the University of Sydney and St Vincent’s Hospital, was set up in the central business district to provide an escape from the heat for the homeless population and other vulnerable members of the community who may not have an alternative option to cool down.

Fire weather warnings were active for parts of the New South Wales state, whilst firefighters in neighbouring state Victoria battled 10 major fires.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (JANUARY 10, 2026) (AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION – Broadcast: No use Australia Digital: No use Australia / .com.au internet sites / any internet site of any Australia based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients / smh.com.au / news.com.au)

1. VARIOUS OF PERSON USING FAN AND SPRAY BOTTLE FILLED WITH WATER AT A MOBILE COOLING HUB

2. MOBILE COOLING HUB ORGANISERS TALKING AMONGST EACH OTHER

3. MOBILE COOLING HUB

4. PERSON SITTING IN FRONT OF FANS

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MOBILE COOLING HUB LEAD AND UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY HEAT RESEARCHER, DOCTOR TIMOTHY ENGLISH, SAYING:

“Once you’re over that 35 degrees mark, you’re gonna start heating up and if you don’t take action, it’s not gonna take long until you actually end up in a bad way. But what I would say, is we’re gonna see more temperatures around, like today, 40, out west 45 (degrees).”

6. VARIOUS OF PERSON UNDERGOING MEDICAL TESTS IN MOBILE COOLING HUB

7. PERSON SITTING IN FRONT OF FANS

8. FANS

9. MOBILE COOLING HUB

10. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON BONDI BEACH

11. PEOPLE IN WATER AT BEACH

12. PEOPLE JOGGING ALONG FORESHORE AT BONDI BEACH

13. PEOPLE WALKING NEXT TO BEACH

14. PEOPLE ON PLATFORM IN WATER

15. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT A HARBOUR BEACH

16. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN THE WATER

17. PEOPLE SITTING ON GRASS