Sun Spotted Over the Sutherland Shire - Residents Unsure Whether to Rejoice or Call the SES

Finn Seabrook | Local Correspondent | Sutherland Shire Gazette

24 August 2025

SUTHERLAND SHIRE - After multiple consecutive days of biblical rainfall, locals were stunned this weekend when an unfamiliar burning orb appeared in the sky. Witnesses described the event as “both terrifying and oddly nostalgic,” with one Caringbah resident admitting she initially mistook the glare for a gas explosion at Westfield.

Emergency services reported a spike in confused calls, mostly from residents asking whether the correct response to sunshine was to shelter indoors, pack sandbags, or finally put their washing out.

Meanwhile, retail carnage erupted at Bunnings Kirrawee and Caringbah yesterday, where sunnies, portable barbecues, and lawn mowers were stripped from shelves in under an hour. Staff said the rush rivalled the toilet-paper riots of 2020. “One bloke bought six bags of charcoal and said he’d forgotten how to cook outside,” a shaken cashier revealed.

Cronulla beaches saw record lunchtime crowds as locals, pale from indoor mould cultivation, attempted to ‘relearn’ the art of outdoor living. Lifeguards confirmed a spike in first-degree sunburn cases, many involving parents who hadn’t applied sunscreen since January.

Council has cautioned residents not to get too comfortable, warning that “today’s dry spell is statistically an anomaly” and advising families to “keep the ark blueprints handy.”

As one Engadine woman  summed it up while dragging her outdoor cushions out of the garage:  “I don’t know if this is climate change, divine intervention, or just a scheduling error at the Bureau of Meteorology - but either way, I’m putting on a load of washing.

sun spotted sutherland shire