The cool water of the Murrumbidgee River was the place to be as weekend temperatures climbed into the high 30s in Wagga - and even higher elsewhere in the region.
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The mercury soared well into the low 40s across a large swathe of the Riverina on Friday and Saturday, with the heat maintaining its grip on most areas on Sunday.
Many sought relief from the sun's stinging rays with a swim at Wagga Beach, including Jermaine Tuua and his nine-year-old son Jahree, who made the trip from Junee to have a much-needed dip on Sunday.
Elsewhere, air-conditioned shopping centres were also a good place to beat the heat - if you were game enough to brave the already-bustling crowd of Christmas shoppers.
Wagga Airport reached a top of 38.6 degrees on Saturday, after the mercury maxed out at 36.4 on Friday.
Western parts of the Riverina baked on Friday, with a maximum of 43 degrees recorded at Hay and a high of 39.8 in Griffith. Hay reached 39.3 degrees on Saturday and had again climbed to 39.5 by 4.30pm on Sunday.
Griffith, Narrandera and Yanco all cracked the 41-degree mark on Sunday afternoon, while Wagga's high, as of 4.30pm on Sunday, was 34.6 degrees.
The Bureau of Meteorology said a slow-moving high pressure system over the Tasman Sea and a trough extending through much of central Australia was responsible for drawing hot air into NSW.
A heatwave warning remains in place for much of the state, including the Riverina.
The bureau said severe heatwave conditions were continuing across much of NSW over the next few days.
The entire Riverina forecast district was included in the low-intensity heatwave category for the next three days, while the heatwave conditions in northern parts of the region are classed as severe.
A heatwave is defined as three or more consecutive days when both daytime and night-time temperatures are unusually high compared the local long-term climate and the recent past.
Looking ahead, Wagga can expect its run of hot weather to continue.
The city is forecast to reach 35 degrees on Monday, 37 on Tuesday and 39 on Wednesday, before the mercury drops into the low 30s from Thursday.
Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
