Wagga Bureau of Meterology technician Nigel Smedley has said the city will face some unpleasantly hot and windy days over the weekend and early next week but it was unlikely to set a new heat record.
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BOM has forecast maximum temperatures over 40 degrees every day in the lead up to Australia Day.
The city's current record for hottest day for the month of January and hottest day ever was set on January 4 last year at 46.1 degrees.
"It will come close but no record is expected at this stage but there might be in other areas of the Riverina," Mr Smedley said.
"The heat will lead to increased fire danger including in the Riverina on Sunday and Monday.
"It will still be 40-something but it probably wont be the mid-to-high 40s, it will be the low 40s."
The official record high temperature was set by the airport's weather station but the city itself recorded hotter days on January 11, 1939 and February 2, 1897, both recording 47.2 degrees, via a weather station at Kooringal that was closed in 1950.
BOM also forecast northwesterly and northeasterly winds in Wagga from Saturday to Tuesday and a UV index of 13 (extreme).
Mr Smedley said two weather systems would contribute to the higher temperatures.
"We have got a strong but near-stationary high pressure system in the Tasman Sea and we have also got an inland trough over NSW and these two systems are combining to draw a lot of hot air from central Australia to our region," he said.
"There's a heat buildup that is causing the heatwave conditions, particularly over southern NSW.
"It is expected to return to normal temperatures by the middle of next week and even below-average temperatures by Thursday."
Murrumbidgee Local Health District has urged people to take the risk of heat-related illness seriously.