Sydney’s CBD had all but disappeared under a thick haze on Tuesday morning as smoke from bushfires choked chunks of NSW.
The smoke, which prompted a warning from health experts for those with medical conditions to stay inside, moved in as temperatures were tipped to soar, winds were picking up, and rain is not expected for days.
It’s a combination of conditions that has firefighters on alert across south-eastern Australia
Authorities are keeping a close eye on dozens of fires still threatening communities in NSW and Queensland, where ‘severe’ or ‘very high’ danger ratings were in place on Tuesday morning.
At least half of 50 fires still burning in NSW remained out of control.
The NSW Rural Fire Service was on high alert because of Tuesday’s hot and windy weather.
“Many of the active fires may spread,” an RFS spokesperson said.
There are 1400 firefighters working to curb the spread of those fires but RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said there was “the potential for real challenges”.
Parts of Western Australia are under an ‘extreme’ rating, while a total fire ban is in place for the whole of South Australia, in preparation for record heat on Wednesday.
Adelaide is forecast to reach a sizzling 42 degrees, edging close to the city’s record temperature of 42.7 degrees in 1962.
Meanwhile, Ceduna will swelter through 45 degree-heat, while Murray Bridge, Whyalla and Port Lincoln can expect temperatures topping out around 44 degrees and Port Pirie is likely to reach 43 degrees.
“We are putting restrictions on activities on Tuesday to minimise the risk of fires starting, which may not be fully extinguished by Wednesday,” CFS chief officer Mark Jones said.
Despite forecast Fire Danger Ratings of Very High or below, SA Country Fire Service (CFS) has declared Total Fire Bans throughout the State. Every region in South Australia will have a ban declared. Please refer to https://t.co/MJroDpbXud for further information pic.twitter.com/A6L1m6bY8o
— CFS Talk (@CFSTalk) November 18, 2019
As for fire-ravaged Queensland, temperatures are also expected to reach up to 40 degrees as exhausted firefighters struggle to contain bushfires burning across the state.
Heatwave conditions are expected to hit the state on Wednesday as hot winds sweep across the southern interior, according to the weather bureau.
The temperatures will ramp up the fire danger as residents in the path of a monster fire fled as the blaze closed in on the town of Crows Nest, north of Toowoomba, on Monday.
The massive fire in the Pechey State Forest has tripled in size. Schools and businesses are closed and there are reports up to five homes have been lost.
Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio said the fire threat was at emergency level.
“I have never seen a scenario like this – it’s a perfect storm,” Mr Antonio said.
He said the coming heatwave would be a “massive problem”.
“As of Monday morning, the 14,000 hectares of land had been burned out. That is expanding by the minute.
“This fire is out of control, we are doing all we can to contain it, but we will not risk limb and life.”
The fire has burned for days, causing severe damage to the water supply to Toowoomba and a dozen surrounding smaller communities.
The blaze in the Pechey State Forest has tripled in size, forcing schools and businesses to close as firefighters struggle to contain it.
Meanwhile, most of NSW’s east coast is under severe or very high fire danger, with temperatures likely to rise into the 40s and little-to-no rainfall forecast.
Tuesday and Thursday will be “tough days”, Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said.
Parts of the state were under severe fire danger on Tuesday, including greater Sydney, greater Hunter, Illawarra/Shoalhaven, southern ranges and central ranges fire regions.
These regions, along with the northern slopes and north-western regions, are also under a total fire ban.
Much of the rest of eastern NSW and the ACT is under very high fire danger.
Mr Rogers said some 1.6 million hectares of land had been burned so far this fire season.
“Even though it’s not a catastrophic danger [this week], it’s still going to be bad fire days,” he said.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian asked everyone to “maintain their vigilance”.
-with AAP
