Canberrans can expect 30-plus degree temperatures well into the new year with no relief in sight in the coming week.
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Canberrans are set to face a top of 34 degrees on New Year's Day, with a slight chance of a thunderstorm in the early morning but it is unlikely.
New Year's Eve saw over 500 people pass through the doors of Canberra's Olympic Pool.
Receptionist Max Sudholz said that was a lot busier than usual.
"A normal summer day, it won't be too busy but when it starts to hit 30 degrees and up, a lot of people start coming through, " Mr Sudholz said.
Visitors were mainly using the outdoor diving pool and the outdoor toddler pool than the indoor Olympic pool.
"We get a lot of young kids between that 12 to 18 age group," Mr Sudholz said.
"They just sort of love jumping up the tower."
For those people looking to cool off in the New Year's heat, the pool is set to open its doors from 8am to 6pm on New Year's Day.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecast Anita Pyne said the high pressure system still hanging over the Tasman Sea continued to trap hot air coming from central Australia and was unlikely to move any time soon.
"It's pretty stubborn," Ms Pyne said.
Ms Pyne said while a trough over NSW was forming thunderstorms and showers, the trapped hot air from the red centre meant there wasn't much moisture in them.
New Year revellers celebrated the start of 2019 in expected 18-degree temperatures overnight.
"A relatively warm night for anyone staying out to party," Ms Pyne said.
The mercury was expected to top 37 degrees on Friday, staying at about 38 degrees on Saturday before dropping slightly to 35 degrees on Sunday.
"We are in heatwave conditions for much of NSW so it is sustained warm days and warm nights. While it is summer, it is not cooling down at night," Ms Pyne said.
For Canberrans who have fled to the coast, the bureau didn't predict any 30-plus degree days until Friday and Saturday, with 33-degree maximums on both days.
There is a 60 per cent chance of showers on Wednesday but otherwise, the week ahead is expected to see mostly sunny conditions.
While good for swimmers, stationary weather patterns meant small sea swell for surfers, with waves not predicted to get any higher than one and a half metres all week.
