39.1 is the latest temperature clocked at 6pm at the Sydney Observatory Hill weather station.
This wraps up our live coverage of fire danger day.
"We have been very fortunate," as the RFS commissioner says. Check our lead story for further updates across the evening.
For the Sydney weather situation, see this report.
More than 130 fires were burning across NSW on Tuesday afternoon, up to 40 of them uncontained, threatening homes and injuring firefighters as regional communities bore the brunt of the "catastrophic" conditions that engulfed parts of the state.
By 5pm, scorching temperatures were beginning to fall, but emergency services officials warned that for many areas significant respite from the heat was still many hours away.
As night fell, the worst fires continued to burn in southern parts of the state, around Bega, Cooma, Wagga Wagga and Nowra in the Shoalhaven region.
Incredibly, there had been no reports of loss of life or homes. "We have been very fortunate," said Rural Fire Services (RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, who praised the "extraordinary" firefighting effort taking place in "dirty, hot difficult conditions".
ROAD UPDATE: The Kings Highway is closed in both directions at Mulloon Creek, east of Bungendore, due to a bushfire.Motorists are advised to avoid the area and delay their journey.
Braidwood Road is also closed between Braidwood and Nowra.
The Princes Highway remains closed at Wandandian between Wandean Road and Bendalong Road on the South Coast due to bushfire. Motorists are advised to avoid the area as there is no suitable alternative route available.
Turpentine Road, Wandean Road and Twelve Mile Road are also closed.
The Hume Highway is still closed in both directions at Tarcutta, east of Wagga Wagga, due to a bushfire.
Northbound traffic is being diverted at Tumbarumba Road onto the Sturt HighwaySouthbound traffic is being diverted onto the Sturt Highway to Wagga Wagga, then the Olympic Highway to Culcairn
Further north at Oura, smoke from a bushfire is affecting visibility along Oura Road between Wantabadgery Road and Eunony Bridge Road as well as on the Sturt Highway.
Motorists can also find the latest traffic information and road closures by visiting www.livetraffic.com or calling 132 701.
TRAIN UPDATE: Trains have been suspended on the South Coast Line between Bomaderry (Nowra) and Kiama in both directions, while emergency crews move a tree that is leaning close to the track at Bomaderry (Nowra).
Bus companies have been contacted to operate a replacement service. Passengers are advised to allow extra travel time and listen to station announcements.
Additionally, buses are replacing the 6:14pm Moss Vale to Campbelltown train and the 7:38pm Campbelltown to Moss Vale train due to a train requiring mechanical repairs.
As well, some trains on the North Shore, Northern, Western and Newcastle & Central Coast lines are delayed up to 20 minutes due to urgent signal and track repairs at various locations.
Delays may be experienced across the public transport network for the rest of the afternoon due to the extreme heat.
BRIAN ROBINS: Endeavour Energy has been hit by a wave of power disruptions late this afternoon, with an estimated 3230 homes without electricity in south Granville and Bonnyrigg in Sydney's west, along with south Nowra at present.
The outage in South Granville is due to a tree falling across a mains. The cause of the outages in the other areas is still being investigated.
Endeavour, which services much of the city's west along with the Illawarra, is experiencing only a subdued level of demand, totalling around 3230 megawatts across its network, which is well below the peak of 4200 megawatts recorded in February 2011. "We are monitoring the movement of fires on the South Coast," a spokeswoman for the company said.
Electricity supplies to as many as 4400 homes have yet be restored as a result of ongoing, sporadic interruptions to parts of Sydney's power network.
By late afternoon, supplies to 1700 homes in the Jannalil and Oyster Bay area in the city's south had been interrupted, while earlier disruptions to 1800 homes in north Balgowlah, along with 600 homes in Rockdale and 300 homes in Bexley were yet to be resolved.
"It's not to do with demand on the network, but crews are investigating whether it has to do with the heat," a spokeswoman for the company said.
Demand on the network remains well below record levels, thanks in part to the number of businesses still shut down for the summer holidays.
The Rural Fire Service has provided this summary of the three biggest fire threats currently facing the state:
- Deans Gap in the Shoalhaven region. Fire has currently burnt 15 hectares. There are 13 trucks, three aircraft and 60 firefighters responding. The township of Wandandian has been told it's too late to evacuate.
- Tarcutta, near Wagga Wagga. Fire has burnt through 500 hectares. There are 23 trucks, two aircraft and 66 firefighters responding. The Hume Highway has been closed in both directions, and isolated properties to the northwest of town, along Mates Gully Road have been told it's too late to evacuate.
- Yarrabin, west of Mudgee. Fire has burnt through 4400 hectares. There are 14 trucks, nine aircraft and 64 firefighters on the scene.
39.8 is the new number at Sydney's Observatory Hill at 5pm. We have just updated our graph of the latest temperatures.
42.3 degrees at 2.03pm was the top of the day so far:
List of current incidents from the NSW Rural Fire Service:
View Larger Map
Click on the pins for details of fires in your area
PETER HANNAM: Insurers continue to tally the cost of the bushfires across south-eastern Australia.
The Insurance Council of Australia said that as of this morning some 420 claims for losses had been lodged from the fires in Tasmania, with insured losses estimated to be $42 million at this point.
The losses in Tasmania range from destroyed homes to holiday shacks and small businesses, with assessors continue to inspect damage, said Campbell Fuller, a spokesman for the ICA.
So far, other states have avoided fire losses of the same scale even as conditions for fire remain extreme across large regions of the country. ‘‘At this point, we’ve had no significant property losses’’ in NSW, Mr Fuller said, adding that the ICA is monitoring fire events closely.
BIANCA HALL: Rumours that residents are being evacuated from Bungendore, Braidwood and Mount Campbell are false, the NSW Rural Fire Service has warned.
Authorities were dismayed at reports coming in early this afternoon that residents had been told by a radio station that authorities were evacuating the NSW towns of Bungendore and Braidwood.
Lake George zone RFS district manager Tim Carroll said social media could be fuelling the rumours, and urged people to monitor "reputable" media and emergency service sources, including the Rural Fire Service website.
Three juveniles are in custody after a fire in Sydney’s west.
About 1.15pm today, police were called to a fire in bushland behind Chestnut Crescent and Sedgman Crescent at Shalvey, after reports of a fire.
About 15 appliances from the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and over five police cars attended the scene.
After two and a half hours, the fire was brought under control, with ten hectares affected by the fire. A short time later three juveniles were taken into custody nearby.
Deputy Commissioner Mick Fuller has reiterated that police and fire authorities have the technology to quickly find and apprehend arsonists.
Fire-threatened locals in the southern NSW town of Bega say they are relieved after a cool change hit the area, AAP reports.
Bega was the first place in the state to top 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, but a southerly wind change at about 3.30pm (AEDT) has resulted in temperatures dropping to the mid-20s.
Emergency warning for Warrigal Range Road:
Emergency Warning Warrigal Range Rd - #Brogo (Bega Valley) ow.ly/gCFeE Smoke is affecting the Princes Highway. it is currently open
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 8, 2013
PETER HANNAM: Forecasters still expect Sydney to reach the predicted 43-degree maximum later this afternoon.
The city hit a peak of 42.3 degrees at 2.03pm at the Observatory Hill site today, before easing back - although only briefly. It was recently at 41.1 degrees.
Brett Dutschke, a senior meteorologist with Weatherzone (owned by Fairfax Media) said as clouds disappeared, the city was heating up again, and would likely hit 43 degrees at some stage.
Dr Dutschke also said Sydneysiders could expect sweltering conditions to last well into this evening with a cool change not expected to blow through until after early tomorrow morning.
“Sydney is likely to be in the mid-30s for most of the evening and should still be above 30 degrees at midnight,” he said. “It's as good as a hot day during the evening.”
The cool change, when it arrives, will take time to have an impact.
Dr Dutschke said the cooler conditions are likely to reach Sydney between 2am and 4am. "Temperatures will probably drop from the mid- to high-20s to the low 20s fairly quickly," he said, adding he expects the temperature to be about 20 degrees at sunrise, just before 6am tomorrow.
The hot weather is starting to take its toll on the city's transport network.
Trains on the North Shore, Northern and Newcastle & Central Coast lines are currently delayed up to 20 minutes due to urgent signal repairs at Rhodes and Wondabyne.
The Transport Management Centre has advised delays may be experienced across the network for the rest of the afternoon due to the extreme heat.
For the latest public transport information, visit www.131500.com.au or call 131 500.
We have just updated our graph of the latest temperatures recorded at Sydney's Observatory Hill:
More than 130 fires are currently burning across NSW with reports a number of fire fighters have been injured and the cool southerly change still hours away, reports Nick Ralston.
Of the 137 blazes across the state, 40 are burning out of control.
Fairfax Media understands that four of the more than 1400 firefighters currently on fire grounds have been injured. The extent of their injuries are still not known.
Emergency Services Minister Michael Gallacher said large parts of NSW will continue to swelter for some time yet.
"It will be hours before we see any respite in those areas that are so affected," he said.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the real threat would remain in some parts, including around Sydney until after midnight.
"It's very much a moveable feast with many fires still being identified," he said.
"The extraordinary efforts of fire fighters across these areas is seeing many fires dealt with promptly."
Residents are gathering in Tarcutta, near Wagga Wagga, after authorities advised them it was no longer safe to leave the town.
The town is located on the Hume Highway, which has been closed in both directions.
Eva Toth, who owns the Tarcutta Halfway Motor Inn, has been running between her car and office, packing items including her computer and insurance paperwork.
"It's absolutely a burning scorcher," she said.
"It's like someone put the hair dryer on your face."
An afternoon update:
- There are currently 908 firefighters working across NSW, along with 281 fire trucks and 61 firefighting aircraft
- Four out of 21 NSW regions are classified as having the highest fire danger level - catastrophic. This is down from five regions earlier today
- There are more than 130 fires burning across the state, including more than 40 that are out of control
- Sydney reached a peak temperature of 42.3 degrees today, though forecasters say it may still reach the predicted 43 degrees
How the Sydney Morning Herald reported Sydney's hottest day in 1939. Read the full article here. Photo: Archives
This is how Sydney's hottest day on record (January 14, 1939) was reported by The Sydney Morning Herald on January 16, 1939.
Note: there appears to be an error in the lead paragraph regarding the dates.
CITY PEOPLE SWELTER.
Furnace-like Heat.
RECORDS BROKEN
Many Deaths.
Full story here
The NSW Rural Fire Service has released an emergency warning for Deans Gap at Shoalhaven on the south east coast.
A bushfire is currently burning out of control about 12km to the west of Wandandian. The fire is burning in catastrophic conditions, the RFS says, and is between two and six hours from properties.
The emergency warning is in place for the following areas:
- Wandandian
- Bendalong Road
- Bendalong
- North Bendalong
- Cunjurong Point
- Janung Lane
- Jerrawangala
- Sussex Inlet Road
- Sussex Inlet
- Cudmirrah
- Swanhaven
- Medlyn Avenue
- Berrara
Under these conditions, fires are uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast moving. Embers may be blown great distances from the fire, the RFS says.
The Princes Highway is closed in both directions at Wandandian, between Wandean Road and Bendalong Road. Motorists are advised to avoid the area as there is no suitable alternative route available. Traffic already in the area is being turned around.
The following roads are also closed: Braidwood Road, Turpentine Road, Wandean Road and Twelve Mile Road.
The Princes Highway at Wandandian on the south coast has been closed due to fire.
The highway is closed in both directions between Wandean Road and Bendalong Road, the Transport Management Centre says.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area as there is no suitable alternative route available. Traffic already in the area is being turned around.
The TMC also advises Braidwood, Turpentine, Wandean and Twelve Mile roads are closed.
Meanwhile, the Hume Highway also remains closed in both directions at Tarcutta, east of Wagga Wagga.
Northbound traffic is being diverted at Tumbarumba Road onto the Sturt Highway and southbound traffic is being diverted onto the Sturt Highway to Wagga Wagga, then the Olympic Highway to Culcairn.
And at Oura, smoke from a bushfire is affecting visibility along Oura Road between Wantabadgery Road and Eunony Bridge Road as well as on the Sturt Highway.
BEN GRUBB: An interesting look at the technology behind the Rural Fire Service's operations today.
The RFS has at its headquarters in Homebush what's claimed to be the largest digital video wall in the southern hemisphere.
It makes use of 100 NEC 46-inch LCD energy saving screens which are supported by 14 computer systems, four dedicated servers and 32 digital video inputs including digital television, Sky News and a helicopter-mounted camera system which can transmit video from the fire front back to the command centre video wall.
Telstra also has a mammoth video wall at its Global Operations Centre, based in Victoria. According to tech site iTnews, Telstra's video wall monitors "234,000 network elements and more than eight million kilometres of fibre".
Click for more photos
'Largest digital video wall in the southern hemisphere'
Australia’s largest digital video wall comprises 100 LCD screens
While temperatures in some parts of NSW are dropping dramatically (see 3.28pm post), in other parts they are still rising.
The mercury hit 45.1 degrees at 3.30pm at the airport at Wilcannia, near Broken Hill in the state's north west. We think that's the highest recorded temperature in NSW so far today (please drop us a note in the comments at right if you believe otherwise!).
Meanwhile in Sydney, temperatures are still above 40 degrees. The highest temperature of the day was recorded at Observatory Hill - 42.3 degrees at 2pm.
Correction: an earlier version of this story stated Sydney's peak temperature today was 41.8 degrees at 3.30pm.
GEORGINA MITCHELL: Holidaymakers on the NSW south coast have abandoned their accommodation as they travel north to escape fire danger.
Earlier today, the Rural Fire Service advised tourists to leave national parks, which have been closed, and travel to population centres for their own safety.
The owner of a caravan park in Sussex Inlet said some of her patrons cut their holidays short to leave town in case roads closed.
Mary Saward said police had kept her updated on the catastrophic-level fire danger in the area, and she'd advised those staying in her caravan park where they should go if they decided to evacuate.
It's currently 38 degrees at Sussex Inlet, with hot gusting winds.
Mrs Saward said wasn't overly concerned for her own safety, because her property is next to water, but she was worried about people in town with homes that back onto bush.
Down in Tasmania, a bushfire emergency warning has been issued for Mathinna in the island's northeast, AAP reports.
Residents at Bull Bottom, Mathinna, are being told the area is at direct risk from an uncontrolled fire within the next hour.
Authorities say it is likely too late to leave the area but those without a bushfire plan should leave immediately if there is a clear path.
Temperatures have been dropping quickly thanks to a cool change on the far south coast of NSW.
At Merimbula, the temperature dropped from a near-record January high of 41.1 degrees at 1.07pm to 22 degrees at 3pm - almost 20 degrees in less than two hours, AAP reports.
The change is moving north up the coast and is expected to reach Sydney before midnight.
A bushfire emergency warning has been issued for Mathinna in northeast Tasmania.
Residents at Bull Bottom, Mathinna, are being told the area is at direct risk from an uncontrolled fire within the next hour.
Authorities say it is likely too late to leave the area but those without a bushfire plan should leave immediately if there is a clear path.
Our photographers have been throughout the state today covering the bushfires - take a look at our gallery.
Click for more photos
NSW and ACT Fires - 8th January 2013
Smoke rises from the Yarrabin bushfire, burning out of control near Cooma, about 100km (62 miles) south of Canberra. Photo: REUTERS/Tim Wimborne
Several thousand people around Sydney have suffered power outages today, as the city seeks refuge in air-conditioning.
A spokeswoman for Ausgrid said electricity supplies to 2100 homes at Allambie Heights and Freshwater, in the city’s north, had lost power earlier this afternoon due to an overhead powerline fault. All but 50 homes have had supplies restored.
Earlier, supplies to 600 homes in Illawong and another 600 home at Barden Ridge, both in southern Sydney, lost power. Half of the houses in Illawong have had power restored.
Additionally, 1800 homes and business around north Balgowlah lost power at around 2pm. Another 600 homes in Rockdale and 300 in Bexley lost power due to local faults, with crews investigating the cause, a spokeswoman said.
A spokeswoman for Endeavour Energy said all supplies have now been restored to customers in Exeter, in the southern Highlands.
However, it is continuing to monitor a fire at Deans Gap, to the west of Nowra, which could effect local supplies later in the day, she said.
The temperature at Sydney's Observatory Hill reached 41.6 at 2pm, then fell to 40.6 by 2.30 and 39.8 at 3pm.
However we're not exactly in for a cool evening - it's expected to remain above 35 degrees until after 9pm, and 30 degrees into early tomorrow morning.
Some statistics from the NSW Rural Fire Service:
- There are currently 124 fires burning across the state
- 1126 firefighters are working along with 340 trucks and 63 aircraft
- 53989.59 hectares have been burnt so far
An update on the Hume Highway closure (see 1.52pm post): the highway remains closed in both directions at Tarcutta, east of Wagga Wagga in the state's south west, due to a fire.
Northbound traffic is being diverted at Tumbarumba Road onto the Sturt Highway and southbound traffic onto the Sturt Highway to Wagga Wagga then the Olympic Highway to Culcairn, the Traffic Management Centre says.
At Oura, motorists are advised to exercise extreme caution due to a different fire. Smoke is affecting visibility along Oura Road between Wantabadgery Road and Eunony Bridge Road as well as the Sturt Highway.
On the south coast, smoke from a bushfire at Wandandian, 30km south of Nowra, is affecting the Princes Highway at Terpentine Road. Terpentine, Wandean and Twelve Mile roads are closed. And smoke from a bushfire at Cobargo is affecting visibility on the Princes Highway.
Gemma Khaicy: For something different, here's a cooler sight. The 14th annual Ice and Snow Festival is currently underway in the Chinese city of Harbin, where temperatures are about 60 degrees lower than they are currently in NSW - minus 24 Celsius.
China is currently experiencing its coldest winter in more than 28 years. Temperatures since the end of November 2012 have averaged minus 3.8 Celsius, and daily minimum temperatures have reached minus 30 to minus 40 in parts of northeast China, the China Daily reported.
Click on the image below to view the full gallery.
Photo by AFP.
A fire at Dean's Gap (Shoalhaven) has broken containment lines, the RFS says.
Advice - Deans Gap fire (Shoalhaven) ow.ly/gCyyb with the hot and windy conditionsthe fire has breached contained lines.
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 8, 2013
Journalist Peter Hannam has written the story behind the Bureau of Meteorology being forced to add new colours to its forecasting chart to extend its previous temperature range that had been capped at 50 degrees. (Temperatures are literally off the charts.)
The range now extends to 54 degrees – well above the all-time record temperature of 50.7 degrees reached on January 2, 1960 at Oodnadatta Airport in South Australia – and, perhaps worringly, the forecast outlook is starting to deploy the new colours, he writes.
While recent days have seen Australian temperature maps displaying maximums ranging from 40 degrees to 48 degrees - depicted in the colour scheme as burnt orange to black – both next Sunday and Monday are now showing regions likely to hit 50 degrees or more, coloured purple.
"The scale has just been increased today and I would anticipate it is because the forecast coming from the bureau's model is showing temperatures in excess of 50 degrees," David Jones, head of the bureau's climate monitoring and prediction unit, said.
Deep purple ... the Bureau of Meteorology's interactive weather forecasting chart has added new colours. Photo: Bureau of Meteorology
Here's a shot of the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, earlier today at Davidson Rural Fire Brigade where he volunteers. The temperature in Davidson, in northern Sydney, is expected to peak at 43 today.
Photo by James Brickwood.
Staff at Sydney's Taronga Zoo have been hosing down their animals and giving them iceblocks to try to help them cool down:
Sydney zoo animals cool off in high heat
Taronga Zoo in Sydney hands out ice blocks and hoses down some residents as temperatures soar across the city.
A wrap of what's happened so far today:
- About 100 fires are currently burning across New South Wales, including more than 20 that are uncontained
- Five regions out of NSW's 21 are classified at the highest fire danger level - 'catastrophic'
- The temperature in Sydney reached 40 degrees at 1.30pm, and is now 41.9 degrees
- The hottest place in New South Wales (as recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology) is currently Fowlers Gap, near Broken Hill in the state's far west, which recorded 44.2C at 2pm
The Hume Highway has been closed at Tarcutta due to an out of control fire at Mates Gully.
Northbound traffic is being diverted to Tumbarumba Road onto the Stuart Highway and southbound traffic onto the Stuart Highway then Tumbarumba Road.
At Oura, motorists are advised to exercise extreme caution due to a different fire. Smoke is affecting visibility along Oura Road between Wantabadgery Road and Eunony Bridge Road as well as the Stuart Highway, the Transport Management Centre says.
Smoke from a bushfire at Cobargo on the south coast is also affecting visibility on the Princes Highway.
Residents in the area on the southern side of Tarcutta Village are advised to take shelter - it is too late to leave.
Another fire at Ryan Road, Munyabla (Lockhart, near Henty) is also out of control. The fire is on a property called The Oaks an warning messages have been sent to isolated properties near the area.
It's now more than 40 degrees in the Sydney city. Observatory Hill recorded 40.4C at 1.05pm.
Badgerys Creek, Bankstown, and Sydney Airport have also passed 40 degrees. Penrith recorded 40 degrees earlier today but has since dropped slightly back.
It's so hot the Australian Bureau of Meteorology has added extra colours to their temperature scale for the next week.
This image tweeted by National Science Week shows the scale now reaches 54 degrees (last night's forecast map).
The Bureau of Meteorology have added extra colours to their temperature scale for next week: 54°C! twitter.com/Aus_ScienceWee…
— NationalScienceWeek (@Aus_ScienceWeek) January 8, 2013
An aerial photo of the Yarrabin fire, taken by Rob Rogers, the NSW RFS Deputy Commissioner - Director Operations.
Photo: Rob Rogers
Two further regions have been upgraded to the 'catastrophic' fire danger level, the NSW Rural Fire Service has just announced.
The RFS upgraded the Northern and Eastern Riverina areas from 'extreme' to 'catastrophic', the highest fire danger rating, this afternoon. Southern parts of the Lower Central West Plains will also be upgraded to catastrophic this afternoon, the RFS says.
It brings the total of the 21 NSW regions that are marked catastrophic to five. The Illawarra/Shoalhaven area and Southern Ranges were classified as catastrophic earlier.
The first region in the greater Sydney area has just passed 40 degrees - hope our Penrith readers are staying cool.
Penrith recorded 40.2C at 12.35pm, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The latest temperatures recorded around the city:
- Observatory Hill, Sydney Airport, Camden, Badgerys Creek, Bankstown, Canterbury, Holsworthy, Horsley Park, Propsect, Richmond and Sydney Olympic Park: 38 degrees
- Campbelltown and Terrey Hills: 37 degrees
- Sydney Harbour and Lucas Heights: 36 degrees
See the BoM's full list of the latest weather observations around NSW.
It's just passed 39 degrees in Sydney but it's never too hot for a game of footy, according to these hardy souls we just snapped from Fairfax HQ here in Pyrmont:
Pyrmont, 12.51pm.
Some more information on the fire reported at Lucas Heights. It appears cables overheated, causing the substation to fill with smoke.
"It is not a blazing fire, it is smouldering cables, and the smoke has cleared,’’ a Fire and Rescue spokeswoman told our reporter Ben Cubby.
"The reactor is backed up (by a generator) and functioning.’’
The substation, which is next to the nuclear reactor complex, has been shut down.
Smoke from a bushfire at Brogo is affecting the Princes Highway and motorists should be careful, the Rural Fire Service says.
The fire's expected to impact on isolated properties east of Warrigal Range Road or west of Eagles Nest Road by about 1.20pm. Access to this area is limited.
It's moving in a south-easterly direction, and smoke is affecting the Princes Highway but the road is currently open.
The RFS says people in the area are able to leave now if the path is clear. They are advised to go to a built-up area such as Bega until the threat eases.
We've just updated our graph of the latest temperatures recorded at Sydney's Observatory Hill.
NSW RFS has just tweeted this line scan image of the Yarrabin fire near Cooma, showing the fire burning intensely.
Photo: NSW RFS
It seems Bega may have peaked too early in today's battle to be the hottest temperature recorded in NSW (does anyone actually want to win that title?). The mercury in Bega has now dipped below 40 degrees, to 39.2. The current top temperature in the state is shared between Moruya on the south coast and Fowlers Gap in the upper west, both of which are experiencing 40.3 degrees. Bega still has the day's top of 41.3 degrees, recorded at 11.33am.
From Bondi to Taronga, our photographers have been out charting how Sydney copes with today's heat. You can see their efforts in this gallery, which we'll build on throughout the afternoon.
Click for more photos
Sydney Heatwave
Sunrise swimmers take to the pool at Bronte Beach, to try and beat the heat as temperatures were expected to reach record highs in Sydney. Photo: Marianna Massey/Getty Images
2GB has a report from someone on the scene at Lucas Heights to say the fire there has now been extinguished.
This is yet to be confirmed by NSW Fire and Rescue.
Initial reports suggest smoke was detected in two rooms, and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation reported it straight away to the fire authority.
There is a back-up generator which would keep the nuclear reactor functioning if the substation was to go offline.
The NSW SES has just tweeted a link to an interview given a few days ago by NSW Ambulance Service Acting Chief Superintendent Ian Johns to the ABC in which he gives some tips for staying safe during extreme heat.
Among his tips are:
- Drink water in small amounts regularly - don’t wait until you’re sick and drink large amounts. Stay out of the sun, wear sunscreen, take medications properly. Stay out of the heat - don't do any gardening or any strenuous work outside or even indoors.
- Take a moment to make a quick phone call to family or community members who you know are a bit isolated and make sure they’re OK. ‘‘Sometimes if you’re elderly or have chronic illness you can get confused very quickly if you get a little dehydrated and then once you start getting confused it snowballs and it can become really a life-threatening condition in no time at all,'' he said.
- Surprisingly, paramedics are often called to people's homes during heatwaves to find they have fans and air-conditioners but they're not switched on, he said. ''Use all the cooling devices you have.''
A fire has broken out at the Lucas Heights nuclear research facility in Sydney’s south, AAP reports.
Fire & Rescue NSW Superintendent Tom Cooper said the call from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation came at 10.36am.
He said the fire was in an electrical substation at the rear of the facility.
The site contains two nuclear reactors.
Three fire crews and a hazardous materials crew were at the scene and two firefighters in breathing apparatus had entered an outbuilding to investigate, Superintendent Cooper said.
‘‘They’ve got smoke evident in two rooms of this outbuilding, they cannot locate the source of this fire.’’
Superintendent Cooper said firefighters were working to extract the smoke from the building and a rescue team was standing by.
JAMES MANNING: The NSW Rural Fire Service has reminded those of us becoming increasingly tied to mobile phones as our primary source of information that they might not be available in an emergency.
Fires knocked out 600 landlines and multiple mobile base stations in Tasmania at the weekend, robbing people of information via phone at crucial times.
No outages had been reported in NSW as of 11.30am today on mobile networks Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.
In the event of network outages, which would affect emergency alerts sent to both landlines and mobiles, the Rural Fire Service recommends checking the radio, television and internet for bushfire alerts.
People in affected areas are asked to keep calls to a minimum so other people can get through to emergency services if necessary.
The NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Michael Gallacher, and NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons are currently holding a joint press conference. Some main points:
- There were 100 fires currently burning across the state, they said, and more than 20 remained uncontained.
- Three regions remain at the 'catastrophic' fire danger level.
- Thousands of firefighters remain on standby at local stations - including staff from National Parks and Wildlife Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, and Rural Fire Service volunteers. More than 21 strike teams are ready to go and pre-positioned in key areas.
Commissioner Fitzsimmons points out that there are a lot of hours of daylight ahead, and even more hours of high heat to go. ''It's going to be a long hot day for firefighters and a long hot day for communities,'' he said.
Some general advice from the NSW Rural Fire Service about what to do if you're in a fire area:
- If your life is at risk, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
- Continue to stay up to date with the bush fire situation by checking the RFS website www.rfs.nsw.gov.au, listening to your local radio station or by calling the NSW RFS Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737.
- For information on road closures, check http://livetraffic.rta.nsw.gov.au. Roads may be closed without warning.
Here's another shot of the State Operation Centre at the Rural Fire Service at Lidcombe today.
Photo: Mick Tsikas
The latest warning from the NSW Rural Fire Service:
Bush fire Warrigal Range Rd, Brogo (Bega Valley). Leave towards Bega or take shelter.
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 8, 2013
Some further details from the RFS here.
The fire is expected to impact on homes east of Warrigal Range Road or west of Eagles Nest Road by approximately 12.45pm.
People in the area are able to leave now if the path is clear and relocate to Bega township.
A few words from the recently retired veteran SMH journalist Malcolm Brown, who has been walking from Sydney to Dubbo. Today is the penultimate day of his trip.
''As I walk along the Mitchell Highway, I am passed by numerous Rural Fire Services truck in an urgent hurry. The heat has been so intense that tar on the road has been melting and sticking to my shoes. The rural radios have been broadcasting warnings to people to prepare themselves and if necessary, abandoned their houses. But so far, from this vantage point, I do not see any plumes of smoke filling the air.''
The town of Bega has become the first in NSW to pass 40 degrees today, with 40.2C recorded at 11.04am.
In Sydney it's currently 34 degrees, according to the 11.04am post from Observatory Hill.
PETER HANNAM: Though NSW will endure extreme temperatures today, the state average temperature has to exceed 44.1 degrees to beat the record, set on January 14, 1939. This year, the hottest day so far was January 5, when maximums averaged 41.1 degrees, with Hay hitting 47.9 degrees.
So far this year, not many individual daily records have fallen, with Tumbarumba the only site (with at least 30 years of records) to post new maximum highs. It clocked 40 degrees on both January 5 and 6, beating the previous record of 39.8 set on January 1, 2009. (About half the new site records were posted in Tasmania).
Some notable high minimums across NSW: Tibooburra saw a minimum of 30.1 degrees on January 7, while White Cliffs sweltered with mercury only dipping as low as 32 degrees on January 6.
Thredbo set a new record high minimum of 17.1 degrees on January 5, breaking the previous level of 17 degrees set on Australia Day 2003.
The NSW Rural Fire Service just tweeted this photo of the Yarrabin fire burning in the Cooma-Monaro area. Kybean Valley residents should go to Nimmitabel immediately, the RFS says.
Photo: NSW Rural Fire Service.
List of current incidents from the NSW Rural Fire Service:
View Larger Map
Click on the pins for details of fires in your area
JUDITH IRELAND: Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was in Brisbane this morning, where he encouraged Australians to make "appropriate" donations to the Tasmania relief fund.
As a volunteer with the Davidson Rural Fire Brigade, Mr Abbott is now heading back to his home state to be on standby with other volunteer firefighters, he wrote on Twitter:
I'm now on my way to Sydney to be on standby with my local fire brigade. Important to follow fire warnings and advice today
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) January 7, 2013
There are no bushfires reported in the Davidson brigade's area this morning but a Rural Fire Service spokesman says it’s an area of real concern.
Here's a link to the Bureau of Meteorology's Special Climate Statement: Extreme January heat in full (as mentioned in the 10.11am post).
The latest emergency warning from the NSW Rural Fire Service:
EMERGENCY WARNING #Yarrabim ow.ly/gCjkY Fire has jumped Numeralla River People in Kybean Valley leave NOW & head 2 Nimmitabel
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 7, 2013
The bushfire burning out of control near Mount Forest Rd in Carlaminda (9.51am and 9.09am posts) has jumped the Numeralla River and is heading towards the Kybean Valley. It's expected to reach there by 2pm.
People in the Kybean Valley area are advised to leave now and go to Nimmitabel township immediately, the RFS says. Police are doorknocking homes in the area to advise them of the risk.
Two Emergency Alert Telephone Warning messages have been sent to residents in the Mount Forest Road and Kybean Valley areas.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has produced an excellent bushfire survival plan that you can read here.
It includes information on preparing your home, what fire danger ratings mean and what you should do, how to stay informed and what to do if you've decided to stay and defend your property.
It's just hit 30 degrees in Sydney, with the temperature recorded at Observatory Hill at 10.04am.
The hottest place in the state (as per Bureau of Meteorology observations) is currently Bega, which recorded 39 degrees at 10.04am.
Some other observations as of 10.04am:
- 34 degrees at Sydney Olympic Park
- 37 degrees at Merimbula and Hay Airport
- 36 degrees at Moruya Airport, Ulladulla, Griffith, Nowra, Narrandera Airport and Fowlers Gap
- 35 degrees at Condobolin Airport, West Wyalong, Hay, Albury, Wagga Wagga, Yanco, Corowa, Yarrawonga and Broken Hill Airport
PETER HANNAM: Australia's “exceptional” heatwave has produced record-breaking temperatures, with at least six of the first seven days of 2013 among the top 20 hottest days in the past century.
The extreme January heat has prompted the Bureau of Meteorology to issue a special climate statement, with further updates planned as the scorching temperatures continue.
Data for yesterday is still be analysed by the weather bureau, but it may be the hottest of the series and could generate a record average maximum beyond the 40.17 degrees reached on December 21, 1972.
Such a result would make it six days in a row when the national average has been above 39 degrees; tomorrow is expected to make it seven. Prior to this series, the longest run of 39 degrees or more was four days, in 1973.
“This event is ongoing with significant records likely to be set,” the bureau statement said. “A particular feature of this heatwave event has been the exceptional spatial extent of high temperatures.”
Here's a shot of the screens being monitored at the State Operations Centre based at the NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters in Lidcombe, in Sydney's west, this morning (see 9.57am post).
Photo: Mick Tsikas
For any of our readers based in the ACT, you might also want to follow the live coverage from the Canberra Times.
ILYA GRIDNEFF: More than 100 emergency services workers are monitoring the state's bushfires from the State Operations Centre based at the NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters in Lidcombe, in Sydney's west.
All emergency services along with army and utilities officials use the centre to work together to stop the outbreak or reduce the effects of bushfires across NSW.
"This is not a tactical system but a public information and logistics hub and coordination centre," a Rural Fire Service spokesman said.
"The tactical response is done at a local level and the information is fed into this centre," he said.
Huge screens regularly update with new information about the state's weather conditions and fire warnings.
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons (centre) at the State Operation Centre this morning. Photo: Mick Tsikas
An update on the 9.09am post.
It is now too late for people in the area of Mount Forest Road at Carlaminda to leave due to the out of control bushfire burning, the Rural Fire Service has tweeted:
EMERGENCY WARNING #Yarrabin Fire (Cooma-Monaro): ow.ly/gCfb2 It is now too late to leave Shelter in place as the fire impacts...
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 7, 2013
''It is now too late to leave. People in the area of Mount Forest Road Carlaminda should shelter in place as the fire impacts.
Protect yourself from the radiant heat.''
JUDITH IRELAND: This morning, Prime Minister Julia Gillard issued a warning about the extreme conditions, urging Australians to keep safe and listen to local authorities.
"[We] are very concerned about these extreme weather conditions in New South Wales. The word catastrophic is being used for good reason," she told Channel Seven, adding that the Australian Defence Force was "integrated" into NSW planning.
Ms Gillard said that even if people weren't in a region at risk of fire, the extreme heat was very damaging.
"We have got to keep an eye on each other and particularly on older relatives," she said.
Ms Gillard said that she would like to see today end with nothing happening.
"Now, I'd like to end this day with nothing having happened and everybody saying, 'Gee, what was that all about?' That would be the best thing that could happen.’’
In the NSW town of Bega, on the south coast, the temperature has just risen a whopping 15 degrees in an hour.
The town hit 37.8 degrees at 9am, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. That was a dramatic leap from 22.9 degrees from 8am, and just 15.8 degrees at 6.30am.
The Rural Fire Service has given Bega a fire danger rating of severe.
Towns around Bega were also sweltering at 9am, with Moruya Heads at 35 and Ulladulla at 34. On the NSW/Victorian border, Albury was 34. Further west in the Riverina district, famous for its heat, Hay and Corowa were both 35.
Rob Rogers, the Deputy Commissioner - Director Operations of the NSW Rural Fire Service, has just tweeted some breaking news:
Yarrabin fire in Monaro broken containment lines. Emergency warning and emergency alert being issued for people in Carlaminda #nswfires
— Rob Rogers (@robrfs) January 7, 2013
An emergency warning has been issued for an out of control bush fire burning in the Numeralla area, the Rural Fire Service says:
''The bush fire is burning in the Mount Forest Road, Carlaminda, area and is expected to impact on number of rural properties anytime before 9.30am this morning.
People in the area of Mount Forest Road, Carlaminda, should seek shelter as the fire impacts. Protect yourself from the radiant heat.
Leave only if the path is clear. If safe to do so, residents can relocate to the north along Mount Forest Road.''
How are you planning to stay cool today? Do you work in airconditioning? Will you be at home? Tell us in the comments at the right.
Here's a swimmer at Bronte Pool at Bronte Beach around sunrise this morning. We imagine beaches and pools will be very popular places to be after work this afternoon ...
Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images
Meanwhile in Nowra, temperatures are already soaring.
We'll be updating this graph throughout the day.
BRIAN ROBINS: The heat is expected to push electricity demand across NSW to its highest level in years, as airconditioners are cranked up and refrigerators work extra hard. But the good news is power supply is not expected to be interrupted because much of the state's industry is still shut down for the summer holidays.
The main threat to power supply is the possibility of bushfires affecting high-voltage transmission lines, which connect the power stations to Sydney's north and west to the city, as happened in Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires of 2009.
NSW electricity demand is predicted to reach close to 13,000 megawatt hours today, the highest level since February 2011, according to the Australian Energy Markets Operator. (That's compared to yesterday's peak demand of about 11,000 megawatt hours.)
We'll be updating this graph throughout the day as the mercury climbs. The temperatures are taken from the Sydney Observatory Hill weather station.
Authorites warn of extreme fire danger
Victoria remained on high alert Monday with the mercury topping 40 degrees in the north of the state.
NSW Rural Fire Service app.
If you have a smartphone, the NSW Rural Fire Service has an excellent app called 'Fires Near Me' (pictured at right). You can see a map of the fires currently burning across the state or search for a particular area. It's available for iPhones and Android devices.
With today's forecast of 43C for Sydney, it may be the third-hottest day in the city on record.
The hottest day on record for Sydney is 45.3, set on January 14, 1939, followed by 44.2 on New Year's Day, 2006.
In some towns in the far west the temperature is predicted to hit 45 degrees.
BARRY O'FARRELL: ''[It] is not just going to be in the 40s. It will perhaps be the worst fire danger the state has ever faced.''
Today across NSW, all National Parks and camping grounds will be closed.
If you're already in a park or camping ground, you should relocate to a safer place by 9:00am, the National Parks and Wildlife Service advises, but there will be no forced evacuations.
Any vistors remaining in parks and reserves should monitor media for updated information and be prepared to follow instructions from NPWS staff.
There is, of course, a total fire ban across the entire state of NSW today. Below is the Rural Fire Service's map of the bans: yellow is 'very high' fire danger, orange is 'severe', red is 'extreme' and red with black stripes is 'catastrophic'. See more details on this map here.
If you're unsure of what a total fire ban means (can I have a barbecue?) you can read the RFS rules here. The RFS also details the penalties someone can face if they light a fire during a total fire ban:
'Lighting a fire on a day of Total Fire Ban attracts a fine of up to $5500 and/or 12 months gaol. Penalties for a fire that escapes and damages or destroys life, property or the environment can attract much greater fines and gaol terms with maximums at $100,000 and/or 14 years gaol.'
Map: NSW Rural Fire Service.
List of current incidents from the NSW Rural Fire Service:
View Larger Map
Click on the pins for details of fires in your area
While Sydney residents woke to a deceptively cool morning, some towns across the state were already experiencing sweltering temperatures at 6.30am.
At Albion Park it was 30.8 degrees at 6.30am and 30.9 at Nowra, while other towns in the area were all in the mid 20s.
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage. It's currently 21C in Sydney.
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