Hot as hell: Sydney faces ‘extreme fire threat’ as temperatures soar to 40C and experts warn thick smoke that’s choking the city is a ‘recipe for severe illness’
- Temperatures are expected to soar past 43C in some parts of New South Wales
- Another blanket of thick smoke settled over Sydney on Tuesday morning
- Some areas expecting ‘severe heatwave conditions’ still experiencing fires
Temperatures are expected to soar past 43C in some parts of New South Wales on Tuesday as another blanket of smoke settles over Sydney.
‘Severe heatwave conditions’ will build up on Tuesday, bringing temperatures over 40C to many regions where dangerous bushfires are still burning.
These conditions, combined with ‘grotty’ smoke pollution, will put a lot of stress on vulnerable people in the coming days, NSW authorities have warned.
NSW Health environmental health director Dr Richard Broome said Tuesday is likely to be ‘very hot and very smoky’.
Residents in areas of Sydney were bushfires are already burning are urged to prepare ahead of Tuesday’s forecast, which could reach 43C in some parts. Pictured: Beachgoers at Milk Beach on Saturday
A thick blanket of smoke settled over Sydney (pictured) on Tuesday morning
A Rural Fire Service officer establishes a backburn to contain a bushfire in Mangrove Mountain, New South Wales on Saturday
‘It’s going to be putting a lot of stress on vulnerable people, particularly elderly people who have existing heat and lung conditions.’
The NSW environment department noted air quality would be ‘poor’ in Sydney on Tuesday and could ’cause symptoms, especially in people with heart or lung disease’.
NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said wind speeds on Tuesday won’t be as high as previous dangerous bushfire days, but high temperatures and low humidity would cancel this out.
Firefighting crews spent Monday evening back burning around the Gospers Mountain mega-fire on the Central Coast.
Thick smoke travelled to Sydney and settled in the basin again on Tuesday morning (Pictured: Harbour Bridge)
A traveller captures thick smoke covering Sydney CBD and harbour
‘These critical operations are being conducted to protect homes ahead of hot and windy weather forecast for tomorrow,’ the RFS said on social media on Monday evening.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian says drought-stricken NSW could be in for a ‘horror summer’.
‘(Tuesday) is a very dangerous day for NSW given the combination of very hot, windy conditions and that has been lethal in the last few months,’ she told reporters on Monday.
There were almost 90 fires burning across NSW on Monday evening with 39 of those out of control.
‘This is concerning. Stay safe Sydney,’ one person wrote about the conditions with a picture of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese is calling for a national approach to fighting and preventing bushfires, as well as dealing with the current bushfire crisis.
Mr Albanese says a greater response is needed and the national government should be providing leadership on these issues.
‘I wrote to Scott Morrison three weeks ago. He wrote back to me saying (a national response) wasn’t required and that everything was in hand,’ he told the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday night.
‘Quite clearly it’s not.’
Mr Albanese said it’s clear Australia is not fully in control of the bushfire situation.