Kick up your heels, summer's here at last - The Daily Telegraph

Ivy, Dorothy and Alicia dive for the flags during the Bondi nippers competition at the Annual Ocean Pacifika festival at Bondi Beach. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: The Daily Telegraph

Charlotte Ip drags her board from the water during her nippers event at the Annual Ocean Pacifika festival at Bondi Beach. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: The Daily Telegraph

WHEN these girls hit the beach, they really hit the beach - and they'll be tasting sand for days after their trip to Bondi Beach.

As Sydney basked in a gorgeous 29C day, young surf lifesavers Ivy, Dorothy and Alicia raced for the flags in the under-10 Bondi Nippers competition, part of the Ocean Pacifika Festival at Bondi Beach yesterday.

The annual festival marks Ocean Care Day and celebrates the coming summer - so what better timing for the weather to warm right up.

Out west it got up to 36C in Penrith and Richmond, 34C at Liverpool and Campbelltown, and 33C at Parramatta. And that's just the start of it.The fine weather is set to continue across Sydney for the rest of the week.

Today is expected to bring a maximum of 25C in the city, 31C in the west, with southeasterly winds in the morning. Possible showers are forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures around 24C-26C in the city and 28C-30C in the west, with the chance of thunderstorms.

Northeasterly winds of 15km/h to 20km/h are likely to come into play on Thursday and Friday, but temperatures will remain in the mid to high 30Cs.

Have your slip, slop, slap routine ready for Saturday with highs set to hit 40C out west.