The Rural Fire Service has declared a ‘‘severe’’ fire danger across Greater Sydney the Illawarra and Far South Coast districts.
The St George and Sutherland Shire region is forecast to reach a maximum of 24 degrees today – about five degrees above average for this time of the year.
A total fire ban has been declared for Sydney and the Illawarra until midnight Wednesday.
Earlier this week, the Bureau of Meteorology warned of higher fire risks by Wednesday as rising temperatures and expected strengthening winds combined with the very dry conditions across the state.
The bureaus says west to northwesterly winds are expected to strengthen as a cold front approaches from the west.
The official fire season has not yet begun. However, it will come into effect on September 1.
Sutherland Shire RFS district manager Superintendent Andrew Pinfold told the Leader last week the dry outlook for spring has forced authorities to bring the bushfire danger period forward by one month.
“We’re looking at a potentially difficult fire season,” Superintendent Pinfold said.
“We are experiencing conditions which we don’t typically see this time of year.
“While the total amount of rain for July was 11.8 mm, the average is 55 mm, so we’re experiencing very dry conditions.
“We are bringing forward the bushfire danger period to commence September 1, which normally comes into effect on October 1.”
Firefighters are today, Wednesday, battling three early-season blazes on the south coast under severe fire danger conditions.
An out-of-control bushfire is threatening homes near Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast, with some residents being told it's too late to leave.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has issued an emergency warning for the blaze at Mount Kingiman, west of Woodstock, Kings Point and Burrill Lake.
The fire service said conditions in areas where fires burned were deteriorating, with stronger winds than originally forecast.
The fire - more than 100 hectares in size - is being fanned by very strong north- westerly winds up to 90km/hr.
A grass fire was also burning out of control in Jerrara, west of Kiama.
