Millions of people have been warned to act immediately as hot, dry and “incredibly” windy conditions are expected to spark new bushfires across New South Wales.
The Coolagolite fire near Bermagui on the NSW south coast, which started on Tuesday, destroyed two homes and spread across 7,380 hectares.
The NSW Rural Fire Service reported 59 “incidents” on Thursday morning, with at least 31 fires and many more expected with temperatures expected to exceed 30 degrees across the state.
Extreme fire danger warnings and total fire bans were issued on Thursday for greater Sydney, the Hunter Valley, north-west New South Wales and the state’s lower and upper central west .
As a result, several schools were closed and residents were urged to familiarize themselves with the fire hazard warning systems in place.
Millions of people have been warned to act immediately as hot, dry and “incredibly” windy conditions are expected to spark new bushfires across New South Wales.
Extreme fire danger warnings and total fire bans have been issued for greater Sydney, the Hunter Valley, north-west New South Wales and the state’s lower and upper central west.
The Coolagolite fire near Bermagui on the NSW south coast, which started on Tuesday, destroyed two homes and spread across 7,380 hectares.
Under the new fire hazard warning system, ‘extreme fire danger’ means ‘act now to protect life and property’.
It also means residents need to “implement their bushfire survival plans now”, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.
THE The NSW Department of Education has closed six schools in the central west for the day. They are Warrumbungle National Park Environmental Education Center and Tooraweenah, Quambone, Marra Creek, Hermidale and Girilambone Public Schools.
The BoM warned of “hot and dry winds with fresh to strong and gusty winds from the north to northwest”, with thunderstorms later.
“We’re expecting some pretty hot, dry and incredibly windy conditions as we start to see a high fire risk across most of New South Wales,” Fire Service Inspector Ben Shepherd said. Rural NSW (RFS). ABC.
“We obviously want the public to heed these warnings and bans, because the last thing we need is further fires across the landscape.”
He stressed that the current conditions were likely to persist for the rest of the year and throughout the summer.
He said the bushfire risk across much of New South Wales “has returned”.
The winds would turn “to the southwest in the evening,” the BoM said.
“Extreme fire danger is forecast for the following fire weather districts: Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney Region, North West, Upper Central West Plains and Lower Central West Plains.”
Temperatures are expected to rise to 35 degrees in Penrith, while the city of Sydney and its surrounding suburbs will see temperatures reach 32 degrees.
All of New South Wales faces an extreme or high fire risk on Thursday.
What do the four fire risk levels mean in Australia
Six schools in New South Wales were closed on Thursday due to extreme fire risks in their local communities. Pictured: Tooraweenah Public School, one of the closed schools
Besides Sydney, the main towns facing total fire bans are Newcastle, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Singleton, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Narrabri, Walgett, Coonamble; Gilgandra, Forbes, Parkes and Dubbo.
Almost the entire upper Hunter Valley, including Newcastle, is expected to reach 34 degrees, while temperatures could also exceed 30 degrees in the Illawarra, South Coast, Southern Tablelands, North West and Western Slopes and Plains. central west and upper west New South Wales.
From Murrumbidgee to the north, the entire state of New South Wales – population eight million – is at high risk, meaning residents need to “be ready to act” and know what to do in case of fire.
In September last year, Australia’s fire risk rating system was simplified to include four levels: catastrophic, extreme, high and moderate.
Catastrophic means people must leave an area for survival, while extreme – which applies to four major areas of NSW today – means residents must act now to protect life and property .
High risk means people should be prepared to act and moderate risk means “plan and prepare.”
On the updated signs, the white bar below the moderate level indicates “no rating” for days when no action is required.
In Victoria, large areas north of Melbourne, Central East and North Gippsland have been issued a severe weather warning due to damaging wind gusts.
“Destroying wind gusts of around 100 km/h are possible Thursday morning.”
Marra Creek was one of six schools closed in central-west NSW.
