Widespread heat leaves residents sweltering across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales

Temperatures across South Australia soared past 40C before 10am on Monday as widespread heat hit Adelaide and Melbourne and had parts of New South Wales bracing to endure their hottest December day on record.

Jonathan How, a senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said Adelaide had already reached its forecast maximum of 38C by 10am, after only dropping to 29.8 degrees overnight.

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