Sydney may be scorching right now, but be warned - the worst is yet to come.

The Earth is in the midst of an usually long spell between ice ages and the build-up of carbon dioxide emissions through the burning of fossil fuels may postpone the next glaciation event by at much as 100,000 years, according to new climate research.

Prepare for hotter days and a worsening drought - a ''substantial'' El Nino event is underway.

Global temperature records continue to tumble, with August easily the hottest in 124 years of data, Japan's Meteorological Agency says.

The trail of destruction left behind suggests the supercell storm that struck Forbes Creek south of Bungendore on Saturday was a tornado, on the same night Canberra had its highest daily rainfall for the month.