ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

New South Wales bracing for "catastrophic" fire conditions

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 12 Nov 2019, 10:17AM
Fires still rage on the east coast of Australia and are expected to worsen over the next days. Photo / NSW Police

New South Wales bracing for "catastrophic" fire conditions

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 12 Nov 2019, 10:17AM

Six million people in eastern New South Wales are bracing for a day of "catastrophic" fire conditions.

The army and other authorities are on standby, with extreme fire warnings in place for Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions.

Hundreds of schools are closed, and thousands of people have been told to leave their homes.

The ABC's Michael Rowland told Mike Hosking it's a huge area, and a huge number of people are at risk.

"It is going to be as bad as its gets. Large swaths of the Australian East Coast, from Wollongong right up to Newcastle, and of course encapsulating Sydney."

Rowland says  the fires have already claimed three lives and destroyed 500 homes since Friday.

"That toll is expected to rise and its no understatement to say that NSW and Queensland are on an extremely high level of alert."

The forecast today is for high temperatures and extremely strong winds.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW ABOVE

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you