Extreme fire danger rating declared for Sydney

SYDNEY: Authorities on Monday declared an extreme fire risk across Sydney due to forecast high temperatures and dry lightning storms.

The Rural Fire Service in the state of New South Wales (NSW) on Monday implemented a total fire ban for Greater Sydney and the neighboring Greater Hunter region, urging residents to take immediate action to protect their lives and property.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecast that the maximum temperature would reach 35 degrees Celsius in central Sydney on Monday afternoon, with temperatures of up to 37 degrees Celsius forecast for the city's western suburbs.

"Gusty winds from the Outback will blow across Sydney today, bringing dry desert air, and pushing temperatures into the mid or even upper 30s," the weather bureau said.

"If any fires start in the conditions, they can spread quickly and be very hard to contain."

Rural Fire Service Commissioner Trent Curtin told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio that the conditions would be exacerbated by possible severe thunderstorms forecast to hit large parts of the state.

He said that the storms were not expected to bring much rainfall and that fires ignited by dry lightning could be a problem for authorities.