Fire warnings escalate as heatwave hits NSW, Queensland

The scorching New South Wales heatwave is set to continue for another two days with Greater Sydney placed under a total fire ban for the first time in nearly three years.

While residents have been soaking up the ongoing sunshine and warmth for a third day, firefighters are on edge as hot and windy conditions put them behind in the lead-up to summer.

A total fire ban has been put in place for Tuesday with the mercury expected to soar to 33 degrees in the CBD and 35 in the west.

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It's the first total fire ban in Greater Sydney since November 2020.

The fire danger risk is high on Tuesday and extreme on Wednesday across Greater Sydney due to the hot and windy conditions.

"We will have a few difficult days and we need the community to be vigilant and we will obviously do everything that we can to make sure we can suppress fires quickly," Rural Fire Service Commissioner Rob Rogers said.

On Monday, there were 112 fire incidents with some under control and others being controlled across the state.

Residents prepare to leave as Queensland bushfire burns

It isn't just NSW feeling the heat as Queensland experiences another taste of bushfire season early.

Authorities are battling a blaze on the Sunshine Coast.

The Beerwah fire was at a watch and act warning level with residents ready to leave as the wall of flames broke containment lines on Monday.

The fire threat in Queensland eases over the next two days but the high fire danger warning returns to much of the state from Thursday with extreme warnings in place for the Channel Country.

NSW town breaks heat record

Earlier on Monday, the mercury at Ulladulla on NSW South Coast soared to 32.6 degrees by 11.40am, beating its previous September record of 32.3 degrees from 2017, Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, today.

The Bureau of Meteorology released a severe heatwave warning for parts of the South Coast and Illawarra districts over the first half of this week.

"These temperatures are above average by around 10 to 15 degrees and persist for an unusually prolonged period for this time of year," the bureau said.

Vulnerable people including older residents, very young children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with medical conditions are advised to take precautions.

They are being advised to find a place to keep cool such as their home, a library, a community centre or shopping mall.

Residents should close windows and draw blinds, curtains or awnings early in the day to keep the heat out of their home.

The bureau said Batemans Bay, 280km south of Sydney, was one area likely to be impacted.

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A heatwave is defined as three consecutive days and nights for a particular location of extreme warmth that may affect people's health.

Temperatures began rising into the high 20s and 30s on Saturday.

Conditions are forecast to ease by Wednesday when a cold front should return conditions to near average.