Sydney weather warning: turn off your dishwasher NOW – as heatwave strikes and blackout risk surges

NSW Premier Chris Minns has asked Sydneysiders to turn off their electrical appliances to ration electricity as the threat of heatwave blackouts looms over the state. 

Mr Minns warned Aussies to delay using their dishwasher, pool pumps and washing machines between 3pm and 8pm on Wednesday as the heatwave nears its peak. 

The five-hour ‘low-usage window’ also includes closing blinds, windows and doors as the NSW government attempts to reduce energy usage over the next 12 hours. 

‘Solar production in the energy market starts to come off at 3pm, exactly when people start to return home,’ Mr Minns said. 

‘So if you (could not use) your pool filter, dishwasher, washing machine, between 3pm and 8pm, you’d be helping the grid.’

Mr Minns said he was notified by the Australian Energy market Operator (AEMO) that ‘there are insufficient reserves in terms of generation across the day’ and that had sparked his warning. 

He said for those that did turn on appliances, the electricity costs would be ‘through the roof’ as coal-fired power stations in Queensland, NSW and Victoria remained offline.

Australia’s energy regulator is warning of the possibility of blackouts as sweltering east coast residents turn on their air conditioners to beat the heat. 

The energy regulator is scrambling to shore up electricity supplies after issuing a blackout warning as the east coast is hit with a late spring heatwave.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) issued its most severe ‘lack of reserve’ notice, forecasting a shortfall in electricity in NSW between 3.30pm and 5pm on Wednesday.

That coincides with the peak of the state’s heatwave and predicted highs of nearly 40C across much of Sydney’s western suburbs, leading people to turn on their air conditioners as they return home in the afternoon.

The declaration urged industry to generate as much power as possible and restore all available powerlines across the grid to meet the rocketing demand.

‘AEMO is working with industry to manage electricity reliability during high-demand, heatwave conditions in NSW with major power stations unavailable due to forced and planned outages,’ a spokesman for the operator said.

‘In addition, AEMO is looking to procure additional reserves … to best manage low electricity supply forecasts this afternoon and early evening.’

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe heatwave warnings for large swathes of the NSW coast, including the Sydney metropolitan area, the Hunter region and the south coast.

The energy warning coincides with the peak of the state’s heatwave, with temperatures nearing 40C across much of Sydney’s western suburbs 

Warnings also remain in place for parts of ACT and Queensland, including an extreme heatwave for Australia’s far-north tip.

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen insisted there was enough electricity in reserve to get through Wednesday, adding the system was acting as intended.

He noted five coal-plant units were down, with only three of those outages expected.

‘Loss-of-reserve notices are not a blackout … they are an indication AEMO is getting more electricity into the system, that is working,’ he said.

‘Obviously, AEMO is always on the lookout for unexpected events which they need to prepare for, they’ve put all the necessary protections in place as they can at this point.’

Sydney’s city centre is predicted to reach 34C on Wednesday but the western suburbs are set to cop it worse, with 39C forecast in Richmond and Penrith and a 38C peak tipped in Parramatta.

The western Sydney forecasts are more than 10C above November average maximums, weather bureau senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.

‘While anomalously high, these temperatures are not expected to break any records (but) it’s more the duration of the warm conditions, including those warm nights, that is more significant,’ she said.

‘It’s also worth noting that the ‘feels like’ temperatures will be oppressive due to the high humidity levels.’

Rain is predicted to hit eastern NSW on Thursday, although warm, humid conditions will persist.