Schools across New South Wales today have closed as the fire danger warning has lifted to extreme.
Twenty schools in the state’s south coast will not open as a total fire ban was declared in greater Sydney and the far south coast.
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The decision was made by the NSW Education Department on Monday in consolations with the NSW Rural Fire Service
Spring heatwave conditions are sweeping through the state, as firefighters battle a number of fires to attempt to bring them under control.
Commissioner Rob Rogers said firefighters were still working to contain fires as temperatures increased and conditions worsened.
“The difficulty is that there is quite a lot of grass fuel that’s carrying the fires and making them burn quicker than you would normally expect and obviously (combined with) that very unseasonably warm weather,” he told ABC Radio.
Temperatures of mid to high 30s are sweltering the state, with it forecasted the hot weather will continue on Wednesday.
The heatwave has extended to parts of South Australia, the Northern Territory and the southeast of Queensland.
Schools closed today:
- Batemans Bay Public School
- Bega Valley Public School
- Bemboka Public School
- Bermagui Public School
- Bodalla Public School
- Bournda Environmental Education Centre
- Broulee Public School
- Candelo Public School
- Central Tilba Public School
- Cobargo Public School
- Mogo Public School
- Narooma High School
- Pambula Public School
- Quaama Public School
- Sunshine Bay Public School
- Tanja Public School
- Tathra Public School
- Towamba Public School
- Wolumla Public School
- Wyndham Public School