In New South Wales, rail commuters have found themselves in the frontline of the state's losing battle against unusually high summer temperatures. Hot and bothered For many people, journeys have become a hot and sticky nightmare. The heat has caused cooling systems in many carriages to break down, leaving passengers sitting on slow trains on plastic seats in 40 degree heat. It is even hotter in the Australian outback. In the remote town of Cobar in New South Wales, the mercury rose to an unprecedented 47 degrees Celsius - more than 116 degrees Fahrenheit.
Firefighters are on high alert.
Bush fires are raging to the north of Sydney and emergency services have introduced a complete fire ban across New South Wales. National Parks and Wildlife Service personnel have been fighting 13 fires in parks across the state. As the heat rises, police in Sydney have launched a new campaign aimed at cutting the number of children left in cars by their parents on boiling hot days. We have had nothing much to cool us down - the cool change fronts keep missing us Weather bureau spokesman Inside a vehicle the temperature can be as much as 40 degrees hotter than outside. Doctor David Schell, from the Westmead hospital in Sydney, says that cars can become deadly greenhouses for anyone locked inside.