Sydney's peak temperatures for the last three months stayed in the high 30s, records by Fairfax Media's Weatherzone show, with the CBD's hottest a 35.7-degree day on January 17, a Saturday, and Penrith enjoying two 37.3-degree days on January 4 and February 8, both Sundays.

Overall, it was the eighth-warmest summer on record – though it may have felt warmer due to lack of rain, with this year the 53rd wettest since records began.

The state's highest temperature was 44.7 at Lake Victoria, on the border with Victoria, on February 15, while the country's highest was 49.2 at Roebourne, in Western Australia, on February 21.

Warmer weather will continue into March, climate outlooks by the Bureau of Meteorology predict, with maximum temperatures in the mid-20s for central Sydney and much of the coast.