FROM Bondi to the back of Bourke, the state will swelter as oven-hot, bone-dry north-westerly winds blow today, bringing extreme heat and fire danger. SYDNEY SWELTERS: Send your hot weather pictures to photo@dailytelegraph.com.au In a sign of the scorching summer ahead, two aircranes were flown into Sydney this morning aboard Russian aeronautical engineering company Antanov's aircraft. The NSW Rural Fire Service has indicated the first aircrane will begin firefighting missions next week. Those fortunate enough not to be at work took advantage of the warm weather at Bondi Beach yesterday. Sunburn, dehydration and heat exposure can lead to heat stroke. If the body has to work too hard for too long to keep itself cool, people can become very unwell. ■ Headache ■ Weakness ■ Vomiting ■ Dizziness People are being asked to review their activities for Thursday and reschedule any unnecessary activity, particularly in the hottest part of the day. Those who are elderly, chronically unwell or young are at a greater risk. The key is to drink water - drink it regularly throughout the day, starting early in the morning. And people are being reminded not to leave children or pets in cars, regardless of how short a time you might be gone. Andysolo posted this picture of the Bondi sunrse on Twitter this morning. Taylor Auerbach THE famous white sands of Bondi are prepped for a white-hot October day with the mercury in Sydney tipped to reach a record 39 degrees this afternoon. Making the wise decision to beat today's crippling heat, joggers hit the pavilion pavement, swimmers took to the surf and gym junkies hoisted themselves onto monkey bars along Bondi Beach well before the sun had spilt its rays across Campbell Parade. The tractor was out to prepare the sand for an influx of visitors seeking to beat the heat today at Bondi Beach. By 5.30am the beach was a hive of activity. Live satellite trucks from both Channel 9's Today show and Channel 7's Sunrise set up shortly after 5am - nabbing car spaces at the north end of the beach sure to be in short supply over the next 12 hours. Carpenter Ben Sutton turned up at 5am to work on his biceps, triceps and abs, telling The Daily Telegraph he didn't fancy the idea of a workout later on. "It's going to be crazy," he said. I'm doing a 40 minute workout before work to beat the heat ... don't worry I'll definitely be finishing early and meeting the family down here. Early morning joggers hit the sand at Bondi Beach before sunrise this morning. The temperature is expected to soar today. As a tractor smoothed out the sand in anticipation of tens of thousands of beachgoers, banker Paul Kenney took his black Labrador 'Betty' for an early morning stroll, even stopping to give the pooch a drink in the showers near the North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club. "Being black, she doesn't suit the heat very well," Mr Kenney said. So I thought I'd get here an hour early and beat the heat with her. I will be hitting the beach later on. A member of the North Bondi surf club - recently reopened in a flashy new $7 million building - was the first to hit the waves this morning. A work out before sunrise was the thing to do this morning with the temperature at 5am already 21C. The female volunteer surf lifesaver's toes touched the water at 5.28am with the air temperature already north of 20 degrees. Shortly after 4am this morning the clock on the Sunsuper building in North Sydney read "21C." Forecasters predict Sydney will hit 39C - 17 degrees above average - sometime after midday, bolstered by strong north-westerly winds. A total fire ban is in place due to the scorching, blustery conditions that could see Sydney top its hottest ever October day - 38.2C on 13 October, 2004. From the RFS to the SES, today's forecast has emergency services on high alert. But in Bondi, where the risk of fire is nil and even the strongest of gales can be avoided with a simple dip beneath the waves, life's a beach.