California is bracing for the wet blast of another atmospheric river — a long, narrow moisture band that carries saturated air thousands of kilometres, then discharges it like a fire hose.

A burst of record-breaking heat is almost at an end, as temperatures tumble across much of the southern east coast thanks to a cool change.

The front is expected to bring wet weather along with cooler conditions. 

The weather shift comes after it was confirmed multiple March heat records were broken across New South Wales.

READ MORE: UBS to buy Credit Suisse in bid to avoid global banking crisis

https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1637298856705523712

Today, the capitals of Canberra and Sydney are looking at a top temperature of 23C and 26C respectively, after clocking sweltering Autumn highs of 37C and 33C yesterday.

Showers and storms are expected to return to south-eastern Australia from Tuesday. 

But not all of NSW is basking in the cooler conditions yet.

"Even though that cool change has reached parts of the coast, including the Central Coast and the Sydney area, unfortunately we are still seeing very hot conditions inland," Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury told Today.

"(There is) high fire dangers about the slopes and plains of NSW and temperatures reaching the high to mid 30s at least across those inland areas.

"We are going to see conditions becoming milder and more humid over the next few days and hopefully lead to an easing in the fire conditions."

READ MORE: Millions to receive pension, JobSeeker and carer payment boost

Weatherzone explained the cold front started moving across South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania on Saturday.

"It's now pushing up over southern parts of NSW, bringing some welcome relief," the weather service said. 

READ MORE: Search continues for missing canyoner in Blue Mountains 

Record-breaking heat

Half a dozen records fell across NSW during the "unseasonable" heatwave, which lasted several days.

Weatherzone said the sweltering conditions were caused by a pair of slow-moving troughs that moved across from the country's interior.

"Mudgee soared to 38.3C, its hottest March day in 116 years of records," it said.

"Both Forbes (40.7C) and Wagga Wagga (39.9C) have had their hottest March day in 83 years, with Bathurst (36.6C) having their hottest March day in 82 years."

Temperatures also fell at Moss Vale, which reached 37C and has 61 years of records, Orange, which reached 34.5C and has 55 years of records, and Goulburn, where the mercury hit 37.6C, breaking 52 years of records.

The scorching temperatures come days after it was confirmed La Niña, the weather phenomenon responsible for flooding rains, has come to an end.

Multiple flood warnings are still in affect for Queensland, which just over a week ago faced record-breaking floods.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Fire crews respond to emergencies every day to help put out fires and save lives. Last week, crews responded to an emergency that was surprising to everyone.

Officials say a fire truck in Georgia, US responded to a service call for "a dog that was stuck in the engine compartment of a vehicle."

A motorist said he stopped because of a dog in the middle of the road and the dog ran underneath his car.

READ MORE: Millions of Aussies to receive cash boost today

When he attempted to get the dog out from under his car, he told officials the dog climbed into the engine compartment and got stuck.

Marietta Fire Department officials said, "the dog was located in between the engine air box and a firewall.

The airbox top cover was removed for better access. The dog was still unable to be removed so Marietta Fire Department removed the air box and duct work.

The dog was then pulled out of the engine compartment. Cobb County Animal Services arrived on the scene to help get the dog to safety."

Fire crews helped to put the car back together and returned to service to await their next call, officials told Atlanta News First.

READ MORE: King Charles' coronation public holiday to be 'considered' in WA

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Friends are paying tribute to an Australian actor who drowned while snorkelling at a Western Australian beach on Thursday.

Peter Hardy, who gained popularity for his roles in McLeod's Daughters, Chopper and the Mamma Mia! musical was on Sunday named as the 66-year-old man who died at Fremantle's South Beach on Thursday.

His death came just days before another man drowned at the same beach on Sunday.

READ MORE: Victorian government to consider banning Nazi salute after protest

Andy Burns, a friend of Hardy, said he was "inconsolable" following the Perth-born actor's death.

He said hardy was visiting WA from London where he lived in a canal boat.

"Words cannot express how deeply I feel this loss, We've been close friends since living together in Neutral Bay Sydney in the mid 80s," he wrote.

READ MORE: Farmer, 75, killed in rural NSW hazard reduction burn

"He was a superb actor a wonderful singer and guitarist he also played drums and sax.

"He always loved performing in the theatre as well as film and TV.

"Heartfelt condolences to all his family and many friends over this devastating loss especially his beautiful girlfriend Lysa."

Hardy played Phil Rakich in McLeod's Daughters for three years, and Detective Cooney in 2000 film Chopper.

READ MORE: Police investigating after body found in Melbourne lake

He was in a handful of Neighbours episodes plus episodes of Underbelly and the Dr Blake Mysteries.

His identity was confirmed hours after a second man, believed to in his 30s, was pulled from the water at the same spot about 1.30pm.

READ MORE: Sydney woman attacked by kangaroo while trying to rescue joey 

Two deaths within days at popular beach

On Sunday, a second man drowned at the same popular beach where hardy died.

Police said a marine rescue vessel found the man unresponsive about 50 metres off shore.

He was taken to Sardine Jetty where paramedics gave CPR but he couldn't be saved.

Police are still investigating both drownings.

A Sydney woman was left unable to work for months after she was attacked by a kangaroo while trying to rescue a joey stuck in a fence in NSW's Blue Mountains.

Melanie Stubbs, from Campbelltown, had been hiking in the Megalong Valley near Katoomba with friends in December when the group spotted a joey hanging from a wire fence by its back legs.

"We thought, 'we'll try to free the baby'," Stubbs said.

READ MORE: Temperatures tumble as Sydney swelters

She said the mother kangaroo was nearby and growling at the group but they didn't think she posed any danger.

"I had no idea that a kangaroo would actually cause some harm. Plus, she was on the other side of the fence, so we kind of had a false sense of security," she said.

One of Stubbs' friends used a hiking pole to try to fend off the kangaroo, and another tried to film the attempted rescue, while Stubbs went up to the joey.

Stubbs said she slipped on an embankment by the fence, and the kangaroo was "all over" her in "lightning bolt speed".

"She came under the fence and reared up with her claws spread," she said.

"I don't remember what happened next but it is on film. You can see in the film that I kick out at the kangaroo. I don't remember doing any of that. The next thing I remember was I turned over onto my tummy.

"And I was trying to crawl away and I'm yelling, 'Help me'.

"And she was pounding on my back. It was awful."

The 58-year-old told 9News.com.au after the kangaroo got off her she realised her some of her muscles were "outside her leg".

"I went to get up and then I noticed my calf muscles hanging off my leg," she said.

"It was horrendous."

Stubbs said she had to hold her leg together to be able to get away from her dangerous position near the joey.

"The adrenalin just kicked in," she said.

The group then managed to flag down a passerby at a nearby road, and they took Stubbs to hospital.

The kangaroo had cut Stubbs' calf right through to her bone, and she needed emergency surgery.

Two days later, the wound developed the first of two infections, which saw her put on antibiotics.

She initially was unable to walk without crutches, and with her job as a cleaner requiring a lot of movement, she was unable to return to work until mid-February.

Stubbs also suffered nightmares after the attack.

But she says she was lucky that it was only her leg that was badly hurt, with doctors telling her the attack could have been fatal.

"It could have killed me," she said.

Stubbs said she wanted to share her story to make others aware of the dangers of kangaroos, with almost everyone she had told about the attack having said they also would have tried to help the joey.

University of Melbourne biosciences researcher Graeme Coulson has said kangaroo attacks are rare, but can definitely cause serious injury.

"Their sharp claws can make deep cuts, and their powerful kicks can cause severe bruising and internal injuries," he said.

"If a kangaroo attacks, keep an eye on it and get away as quickly as possible while keeping low in a crouch, because the kangaroo is less likely to give chase."

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

An investigation is under way after a farmer was killed during a hazard reduction burn at a property in Central West NSW.

Viv Coady, 75, died after a planned hazard reduction operation facilitated by the local RFS at his farm in Forbes.

It's understood Coady became cut off from the group and surrounded by flames on his tractor after a freak gust of wind hit around 11.30am yesterday.

He was flown to Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney but died.

Coady was a well-known community figure and a friend to a number of the RFS members who were at his property.

His nephew Grant said it was "a tragic accident".

"None of us blame anyone for anything. Farming's dangerous," he said.

READ MORE: Relief in sight as 'unseasonable' heatwave grips East Coast

Investigators from the RFS were back at the farm today conducting inquiries.

Police will prepare a reporter for the coroner.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Police support organisation Blue Hope says it stands by officer’s shooting of the gunman.

Parts of New South Wales sweltered through the hottest March day on record today, but relief will come as the mercury dips tonight.

The temperatures ranged from the high 30 degrees to low 40 degrees in many areas ahead of a cool change sweeping the state.

However, the morning started with fog across parts of the city caused by moisture in the air and higher than average sea temperatures.

READ MORE: Bali loses patience with Russians, Ukrainians fleeing war

https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1637298856705523712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

It persisted through the afternoon, but the sun broke through and people flocked to Sydney's beaches and waterways.

The Bureau of Meteorology told 9News.com.au that the highest temperature in Sydney was 40.2C at Badgery's Creek, in the city's west, while the temperature at Sydney Observatory in the CBD hit only 28.6C.

Senior meteorologist Jordan Notara said the scorching conditions were caused by a heat trough that moved east and affected all of NSW.

But a cool change will move through from tonight and into tomorrow, with showers and storms returning to south-eastern Australia from Tuesday.

READ MORE: Trump says he expects to be arrested, calls for supporters to protest

It will see temperatures in Sydney drop to a forecast maximum of 26C tomorrow before the mercury begins to rise on Thursday, with an expected top temperature of 28C.

Much of NSW has endured unseasonably hot conditions over the past three days, leaving more than 30 bush and grass fires burning across the state.

The state's Rural Fire Service was late today continuing to battle the Yarra Station blaze, burning in the Far West, 100km west of Condo.

https://twitter.com/NSWRFS/status/1637290518626574336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

It said the fire was burning in thick shrub and spreading in an easterly direction towards Round Hill Road. There were no properties under threat.

A farmer was killed in a hazard reduction burn in the Central West.

And crews were continuing to mop up and blackout hotspots on the Dalgety Rd Fire south of Berridale.

Elsewhere in the country, there are cooler conditions for South Australia and Victoria, but continuing warm weather in Western Australia. 

READ MORE: La Niña finally over, but watch instantly issued for El Niño

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Grant Robertson held the seat since 2008.

It’s endometriosis awareness month: normalise conversations to help those affected.