A FIRE weather warning and Total Fire Ban has been issued for the Greater Hunter region as temperatures continue to swell.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued the alert at 4.10pm on Thursday afternoon, January 25.
Extreme fire danger is forecast for the Greater Hunter district with a Total Fire Ban in place
Affected areas include Cessnock, Dungog, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Singleton and the Upper Hunter.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has advised residents to action bushfire survival plans now and monitor the fire and weather situation through online resources or radio stations.
The Bureau is reporting hot to very hot temperatures with fresh and gusty northwesterly winds, ahead of a cooler south to south easterly change in the afternoon and evening.
Fire permits were suspended at midnight on Thursday and will remain suspended indefinitely, a Rural Fire Service spokesperson confirmed.
"Over the coming days, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast heatwave conditions across large parts of the state, with temperatures expected to reach the high thirties and low forties," the RFS sopkesperson said.
"With the high temperatures, we expect elevated fire conditions towards the end of the week, at the beginning of Australia Day long weekend.
"It's important you are your family are prepared and know what you'll do if fire threatens."
Newcastle recorded its highest temperature of the day at 39.2 degrees at 12.48pm. The forecast is suggesting possibly 41 tomorrow; it's the same for Muswellbrook and Singleton on Thursday but Singleton could reach 42 on Friday; same for Cessnock.
It was already 33.6 degrees at the Nobbys weather station in Newcastle at 10.30am on Thursday.
Report all unattended fires to triple zero (000) and stay up to date by visiting www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fnm or checking the Fires Near Me NSW app.
HEAT ADVICE:
- Avoid being outdoors in the hottest part of the day
- Keep your home cooler by using air-conditioning or electric fans and closing doors, windows, blinds, and curtains
- Limit your physical activity to early in the morning when it's coolest
- Stay hydrated
- When outdoors, apply sunscreen and wear sunglasses and a wide brim hat to protect your eyes, face, and scalp
- Seek out cool places or air-conditioned public facilities in your local area if you can
- Recognise the symptoms of heat illness - including pale skin, headache, nausea, dizziness, fainting, weakness, irritability, thirst, heavy sweating, muscle cramps, decreased urine output - and call medical care if needed
- Try loosening or removing clothing, having a cold shower using ice packs to cool down
- Heat stroke requires immediate medical emergency care - symptoms include confusion, slurred speech, agitation and altered mental state, profuse sweating or hot, dry skin, muscle twitching or seizures, rapid breathing, a quick strong pulse or very high body temperature - call triple zero (000)
- Stay across any bushfire warnings
- Report a fire to triple zero (000)
