Sweltering or perfect? That depends on your point of view German tourists Eduard Kuksa, far left, Arkadi Seewald and Svea Block didn't let Sydney's 37.3C heat stop them enjoying Bondi Beach yesterday. SYDNEY has endured one of its hottest October days on record as firefighters yesterday braved intense heat to contain 57 blazes across NSW. Despite fears of "catastrophic" conditions, authorities successfully defended homes and businesses from bushfire damage before cooler winds began pushing north from the Victorian border last night. The focus will shift today to Queensland, with severe fire danger forecast for that state's southeast corner, Darling Downs and Granite Belt. Weatherwatch meteorologist Don White said the temperature in Sydney peaked at 37.3C, the city's third-hottest October day on record and the highest October temperature recorded in nine years. NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said his firefighters combated most of the state's fires by assaulting them early with pre-assembled "strike teams." "We're expecting a little reprieve over tomorrow and Saturday before a new front comes through with a return of problematic weather, particularly in the Hunter (Valley, north of Sydney), on Sunday," Mr Fitzsimmons told The Australian. As fire authorities mobilised 1000 firefighters, thousands more turned out at Sydney beaches to bask in the unseasonable warmth. At Bondi Beach, German tourist Svea Block said it was a welcome change from the frosty European autumn. "We hope the weather stays like this all summer," said Ms Block, 22. It's why Australians seem like they're always in a good mood. This is perfect. A man and a woman were yesterday arrested for "traffic offences" in the vicinity of fires near Weston, in the Hunter Valley, and were assisting police in their investigation of arson. Other blazes included grass fires that threatened homes at Bonnyrigg and Mount Vernon, in Sydney's west, and a bushfire at a military firing range near Singleton, in the Hunter Valley, which firefighters could not directly access because of unexploded munitions in the area. Wilcannia, in the state's west, endured 41.7C heat -- the highest temperature ever recorded in NSW in the first 10 days of October. An eight-storey block of units at Centennial Park, in Sydney's inner east, was evacuated when a barbecue area on the top floor caught fire about 4pm. Nobody was thought injured, although one man was discovered trapped and confused in a stairwell. And 1000 people were evacuated from a 20-storey office building in Hunter Street in Sydney's CBD over what was discovered to be smoke from a diesel generator.