Wagga temperatures set to stay above 40 for at least four consecutive days

The Bureau of Meteorology in Wagga is predicting Friday and Saturday's temperatures to hit above 44 degrees.

If the mercury does reach that high on either day, it will topple a record that has been held since December 21, 1956, when the temperature reached a grand total of 43.2 degrees.

"At this point, the forecast is saying that we will break that record," said Nigel Smedley, a technician at the Bureau of Meteorology in Wagga.

"But I kind of hope we keep the record going."

Should the temperature reach above the forecasted maximum on either Friday or Saturday, it may also smash the 2019 heat record which was set in the third week of the year.

This year's hottest day so far came on 17th January, when the mercury tipped 45.2 degrees.

"We're close to hitting both of those records, both the historic and the yearly," Mr Smedley said.

While there looks to be a significant drop in the temperature arriving before Christmas, there doesn't look to be too much rain behind it.

"Saturday is forecast as a sunny morning with a chance of a storm in the afternoon or evening, but that's the only indication of precipitation for at least the next week," Mr Smedley said.

Expectations to see four consecutive days over 40 degrees has prompted the city's climate activists to push hard for an ongoing heat management strategy.

Working in collaboration with the council, Dr Trudi Beck has been looking to adopt a citywide plan that will cater to the protection of heat-vulnerable people during extreme heat events.

"We need to start by defining what a heatwave is here," Dr Beck said.

"Four days with temperatures above 40 degrees has a cumulative health impact on anyone with a chronic disease. So the plan would [outline] how to safely prepare and survive a heatwave."

Ideally will be distributed across the region's councils, sporting groups and community groups. It would list various public places for the population to keep cool in.

It would also provide recommendations on when to appropriately cancel or move outdoor events, including sports matches.

Over the next year, Dr Beck hopes, the council will continue to invest in growing green corridors to provide areas of significant shade across the city.

While the plan will not be fully enacted until next summer, for immediate relief in the over this week, Dr Beck implored the community to stay hydrated, stay out of the heat and look after the elderly, pregnant, or ill as well as any neighbours who are known to be socially isolated.

"Heatwaves [have the potential to] kill more people each year than fires or cyclones. It's a serious issue that we need to be taking seriously," Dr Beck said.