Sydney

It is forecast to reach 33 degrees Celsius in Sydney city, and 40C in western suburbs.

On Sunday, a reading of 47.3C was recorded in Penrith by the late afternoon, making it the hottest temperature recorded in Sydney since 1939. It was also the hottest city on Earth.

The Australian and England cricket teams suffered temperatures in the 50s out on the field at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

England captain Joe Root was taken to hospital to be treated for severe dehydration.

Vivid transforms landmarks across the city using light, colour and sounds and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

But making the spectacle accessible for people with limited or no vision is a challenge, particularly when it comes to what is arguably the highlight of the show, the lighting of the sails at the Opera House.

For the first time, films that have been made and acted by people living with disabilities will be a key part of the program.

It has been made possible by Screenability — an arts initiative in New South Wales to help more people with disabilities break into the film industry.

"I think it's really important that you have creatives with disability in charge of that narrative," Sydney Film Festival's Screenability programmer Sofya Gollan said.

"Chinese people like whitening, [they consider it] beautiful — whitening and brightening because it's good," she says, smiling.

The smile is genuine, as Amanda is a fan herself.

"I use this one in the morning and at night … it can make your skin look very healthy, very clear," she says.

"It's very popular."

And this popularity is on the rise with the market for skin lighteners projected to reach $US23 billion ($30.5 billion) by 2020, according to market intelligence firm Global Industry Analysts.

Ben McCormack, 42, a well-known reporter for the local A Current Affair programme, was arrested in Sydney.

Police searched an apartment and the offices of his employer, the Nine Network, seizing computers, a mobile phone and an electronic storage device.

The Nine Network immediately suspended Mr McCormack from his reporting duties.

Police released images of Mr McCormack's arrest, showing his face blurred, and charged him with using a carriage service for child pornography material.

Memories of the way the Waratahs used bruisers like Will Skelton and Tolu Latu to poke, niggle and provoke - illegally and otherwise - the Crusaders when they last visited Sydney haven't been forgotten.

Neither they should be. Watching the Waratahs forwards steam into the Crusaders in 2015, and you have to admit the city boys really did give the men from New Zealand the big V, made for painful viewing.

Waratahs and Brumbies fans will get to watch their teams square off for the newly introduced trophy, which is named after the 63-test Wallaby who died last month in non-suspicious circumstances. 

The former South African-born lock played 20 Super Rugby matches for the Brumbies between 2001-2003, before heading north to the Waratahs and notching 58 caps between 2004-2011. 

On the turf of Sydney University Oval No.1, where Vickerman ran out for the Students between 2001 and 2011, a huge crowd of mourners came to remember the life of the former Waratahs and Wallabies second-rower who died on February 18, aged 37. 

Stories were told by Vickerman's best man Richard Bell, former teammates Chris Malone and David Lyons, and close family friend David Marr, in front of a packed grandstand sprinkled with former Wallabies. 

The 25-year-old man was on his parents' property in Sydney when he plunged into dense bushland late on Sunday night, sparking a complex rescue operation.

He was winched to safety almost five hours later and treated for shoulder and chest injuries, paramedics said. The man remains in a stable condition.

New South Police Sergeant Peter McMaugh said it was remarkable the man was alive.

The 35m strike after the final hooter ensured the Dunedin-based franchise finished their pre-season with a win, having previously lost to the Crusaders and been bundled out in the Brisbane Tens quarterfinals. 

Smith's late strike also ensured the Highlanders didn't throw away a game they had led 40-18 early in the second half, only for the Waratahs to come steaming back to lead 47-40 inside the final 10 minutes.

But midfielder Rob Thompson crashed over under the sticks with a few minutes left on the clock, before Smith snatched the game with his right-boot.