Sydney heatwave expected to break 120-year hot weather record of days over 35C

Temperatures have hit 40C in the Australian capital in recent weeks

People cool off at Coogee Beach as temperatures soar across the city of Sydney ( EPA/JOEL CARRETT)

Australian capital Sydney is experiencing its hottest summer in over 120 years, with temperatures set to exceed a record set in 1896.

The city has experienced eight days with temperatures above 35C this summer, which ends in February.

On Tuesday, temperatures topped 35C by 9.30am, according to 9News, with Sydney now just one hot day short of matching the 121-year record.

Recent hot and muggy days have seen the mercury hit 30C by 8am, peaking around midday in the upper thirties.

The evenings have brought little respite to Sydney residents.

After sundown, another warm weather record was broken, with night-time summer temperatures reaching 24C on four occasions, double what was experienced during the city's severe 2010 heat wave.

Eastern Australia's recent hot spell has sometimes touched 40C, making it hotter than the country’s tropical north.

The country as a whole is also on track for its warmest January on record.