Sydney swelters with temperatures reaching 43 degrees

Temperatures have climbed past 40 degrees in parts of Sydney with Penrith, in the west, seeing the mercury reach 43.4 degrees.

There’s a total fire ban across the city as it swelters through its hottest day this summer so far.

The heatwave which engulfed the southern states on Wednesday has reached the east coast, with Sydney and nearby towns roasting in the high 30s and 40s by mid Thursday.

People are being warned to protect themselves from the heat and sun, and drink plenty of water.

There are also warnings to pet owners to keep their four-legged friends safe from the heat and sun.

Residents are being reminded to make sure cats, dogs and other pets are being kept in a cool environment and never leave them in cars.

Seven News meteorologist Tony Auden said the southern states are cooling down after a hot Wednesday, thanks to a cold front and pre-frontal trough sweeping across NSW, bringing a sharp divide in temperatures. Behind it, cooler south-west winds are passing through South Australia.

Sydney was on 30 degrees in the early afternoon, but the airport recorded 36C.

Heatwave brings fresh reminder after 116 coastal drownings

More than 110 people died from drowning around Australia's coastline during the past year, a slight reduction on the previous 12 months.

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But the number of deaths is still 10.5 per cent higher than those recorded during 2014-15.

The National Coastal Safety report, compiled by Surf Life Saving Australia and launched by Health Minister Greg Hunt on Thursday, shows 116 out of the 152 coastal-related deaths in 2016-17 were as a result of drowning.

Men represented 83 per cent of those fatalities and women 17 per cent, with nearly a third related to swimming and wading, a reduction of 18 per cent on the previous year.

Alcohol and drugs represented a contributing factor in 19 per cent of drownings, similar to rip currents (20 per cent) and medical conditions (22 per cent).

The report confirms rip currents remain the top hazard for beachgoers, but the number of people who can identify a rip has increased 14 per cent since 2015.

Sharks are the third greatest concern, despite the number of shark-related deaths sitting at two per cent compared to 98 per cent for drowning.

Mr Hunt believes the report is a timely reminder for all swimmers to be cautious this summer.

"The message for everybody is, please watch your children, keep them between the flags and if you're out on the water ... wear a lifejacket," he told Sky News.

"We love our water, but we've got to do better."

Lifesavers last year rescued almost 11,000 people at beaches where there were flags and patrols.