Scorching Sydney to get hottest back-to-back days in 10 years

Bondi and the rest of Sydney are braced for its hottest consecutive days since October 2006. Photo / AP

Sydney is set for a scorcher, with the city facing its hottest back-to-back days in 10 years.

The mercury is forecast to hit 36C in the CBD and 39C in the west today and climb to 39C and 38C, respectvely, tomorrow.

If these are met Sydney will record its hottest consecutive days since October 2006, when temperatures reached 36.7C and 36.2C, according to Bureau of Meteorology.

A new record could also be set for the warmest December night since 1972, with temperatures not expected to fall below 25C.

"We are going to have generally hot and dry north westerly winds associated with these warm temperatures," weather bureau forecaster Sarah Chadwick said.

The winds will also increase the risk of bushfire fires so the NSW Rural Fire Service has declare total fire bans across much of the state.

A severe fire warning is also in place for the lower central west plains and the entire Riverina district.

Air conditioner use is likely to increase, especially across greater Sydney, and energy providers are reassuring customers they are prepared for the increased demand.

"On days like today, electricity consumption can increase by 50 per cent when temperatures approach 40 degrees with the use of air conditioners," Endeavour Energy spokesman Peter Payne said.

A cool change is due tomorrow evening and will continue on Thursday when temperatures are forecast to drop to around 19C, the bureau said.

- AAP