A power outage during the hottest part of the day on Saturday, affected half of the stores at Southgate Shopping Centre Sylvania, with one having to dump trolleys full of perishable food.
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On its Facebook page, shopping centre management posted that due to the extreme weather on December 9, the centre was experiencing power issues.
Sydney Airport recorded the hottest December day since records began in 1929 reaching 43.5C at 1pm.
It was at that time that the power outage occurred in Southgate. A Woolworths Spokesperson said the power was out until 3pm, and had affected Woolworths and other stores.
Woolworths utilised a backup generator to power the registers and store lights, so it could continue trade. But the limited capacity of the generator meant that refrigeration could not be powered during the two-hour outage.
"Unfortunately, in keeping with strict food safety protocols some products had to be discarded after being out of refrigeration for an extended time - with outside temperatures reaching 42 degrees," the spokesperson said.
"Full power was restored [on Sunday] and we thank our customers for their continued patience as our team works to restock shelves as quickly as possible."
But some customers were not pleased.
"Just shocking to see when some families are battling," a customer told the Leader.
"I'm honestly astounded that you let customers walk around in the dark centre. There were no signs warning people either," another shopper posted on Facebook.
"Went there unaware of the blackout. The travelator wasn't working and that area very dark. An accident waiting to happen."
High temperatures return on Thursday, December 14, with 36 degrees expected in Sydney.
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