Sydney sweated through its fifth hottest day on record yesterday, soaring to a scorching high of 42 degrees. The sweltering conditions persisted into the evening, with temperatures still in the thirties by bedtime. The cool change that came in the early hours of this morning brought much needed relief from the heat for Sydneysiders. Today is as much as fifteen degrees cooler that yesterday, with temperatures in the low twenties in the city and mid twenties in the west. The cloud and drizzle patches hanging around this morning should clear for a mostly sunny afternoon. While Sydney can enjoy a couple of days of near-average temperatures, the hot weather will return on Friday. Heat building up in the interior will extend over most parts of NSW with the help of northwesterly winds, raising the mercury to a possible 40 degrees day on Friday and Saturday in western suburbs. The city will be spared from the brunt of this heat, with temperatures expected to reach the low 30's. Unlike the dry, gusty heat that we experienced yesterday, the heat on Friday and Saturday will be more humid. The increased humidity will make it feel a few degrees hotter than it actually is. A cooler southerly change is expected on late Saturday afternoon to early evening, returning temperatures close to average on Sunday and into the beginning of the working week.