Heavy smoke in NSW as hazard reduction burns ramp up
Sydney residents are being warned of extremely poor air quality today as hazard reduction burns around the state.
The city has once again been shrouded in a layer of bushfire smoke with Sydney and Canberra ranked in the top 20 cities for the worst air quality around the world alongside Bangladesh, India and Jakarta.
Conditions are expected to be particularly bad around the city's south-west including the suburbs of Bargo, Bringelly, Camden, Campbelltown West, Liverpool and Oakdale.
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Hazard reduction burns around NSW are generating extremely poor air quality for thousands today. NSW RFS
Fire crews are ramping up some of their major burns after operations were scaled back for ANZAC day last weekend. Fire and Rescue NSW
Areas around Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and Central Coast are also being warned of smoke in the air today with major hazard reduction burns in all three areas.
Fire crews have begun ramping up a 760 hectare hazard reduction burn in the Wattamolla area with residents in the area warned of reduced visibility and air quality over the weekend.
Critical hazard reduction burns are also taking place in the Blue Mountains near Woodford.
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NSW Health is warning people to take precautions urging anyone with asthma or other health conditions to remain indoors and avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
Drivers have also been warned to take care where the haze has reduced road visibility.
Meanwhile, decent rain is expected to fall over parts of western, southern and eastern Australia during the next week as a series of upper-level lows and troughs drift over Australia.
A trough and cold front crossing southwestern Western Australia is triggering rain while Perth remains mostly sunny today.
Troughs over coastal and inland Queensland are generating showers and storms.
Brisbane will be partly cloudy with a high chance of showers and a thunderstorm with temperatures between 16C and 25C today.
Onshore winds are bringing showers to eastern Queensland and northeastern NSW.
Victoria will be mostly clear with sunny and cool-to-mild conditions in most parts of the state.
A weak trough is causing showers in eastern Tasmania.
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