Overview
- Catastrophic fire danger has been declared for the Lower Central West Plains, including Dubbo, Forbes, Parkes and Wellington, with residents urged to evacuate early.
- The NSW Rural Fire Service says this is the first catastrophic warning in the state since September 2023, with extreme ratings across multiple regions.
- Total fire bans are in place for 11 areas on Wednesday, including Greater Sydney, the Hunter and Illawarra, as large parts of NSW face extreme danger.
- The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts around 37°C, very low humidity and strong winds—up to about 50 km/h in the Central West—driving the elevated risk.
- More than 20 public schools in central NSW will close on Wednesday, and authorities warn extreme fire danger may persist into Thursday as forecasts are updated.