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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Nick Bielby

Bushfire danger period, storm season begin

Aftermath: The scene of a bushfire at Greta in late 2019. Picture: Simone De Peak

The Lower Hunter branch of the Rural Fire Service is predicting an "average" bushfire season for the summer of 2021-22, after a relatively damp winter.

The official bushfire danger period and storm season begin on Friday and will continue to next March.

It comes after 21 local government areas - including Singleton, Muswellbrook, Upper Hunter and Mid Coast - entered the bushfire danger period a month early at the beginning of September.

RFS Inspector Dave Millsteed said that the weather conditions during winter meant there was moisture in what could be considered bushfire fuel in the lead-up to the danger period.

"We've had significant rainfall over winter, which has helped us with everything being green," he said.

"Having said that, the threat of bushfire is ever-present and we're reminding the community to make sure they're prepared for bushfire season, that they've reviewed or updated their bushfire survival plan and that their family members know what's going to happen in the event of a bushfire."

The Newcastle Herald reported earlier this month that the Lower Hunter State Emergency Service was expecting a higher-than-average chance of wet conditions in the coming months - the beginning of the annual storm season.

The NSW Bureau of Meteorology said this month that there was a 50 per cent chance of La Nina conditions on the east coast - about double the usual likelihood.

Information on how to prepare for the bushfire danger period can be found at rfs.nsw.gov.au, while information on how to get ready for storm season can be found on ses.nsw.gov.au.

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