Total fire ban across greater Sydney as 37C heat and dry lightning threaten bushfires

Extreme fire danger forecast with thunderstorms expected to bring little rain

By LineZotpaper

Published12 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources2 outlets

A total fire ban is in place across greater Sydney and the Hunter region, with temperatures forecast to reach 37C in the city's west and the Bureau of Meteorology warning of extreme fire danger, thunderstorms and dry lightning that could spark new fires.

A total fire ban is in place across greater Sydney and the greater Hunter region, with temperatures forecast to hit 37C in the city's west on Monday.

The Bureau of Meteorology said Sydney faced extreme fire danger due to hot, dry conditions and the chance of thunderstorms, with little rainfall. Temperatures were expected to hover between 34C and 36C from north of Newcastle down to Wollongong before a change later in the afternoon, accompanied by potentially damaging winds.

The NSW Rural Fire Service said the ban prohibited outdoor fires, solid fuel barbecues and activities such as grinding and welding. Commissioner Trent Curtin told ABC radio that fire danger would be "right up today" and warned of severe thunderstorms across large parts of NSW. "We don't think we're going to see a whole lot of rain with that today, so that dry lightning starting fires out in the west and through the middle parts of NSW is going to be a real problem," he said. Curtin noted the RFS had made good progress with hazard reduction burning this year.

Federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain promoted the rollout of the AusAlert emergency messaging system, which sends alerts to compatible phones. Only Victoria and Western Australia have signed on so far. "Near real-time message not reliant on any one telco provider is a real gamechanger for emergency management," she told ABC TV.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Bushfire risk affects lives and property across Sydney and NSW, and forecast dry lightning could start fires far from the coast.
The ban restricts common activities such as barbecues, grinding and welding for the day.
The federal government is using the moment to promote national emergency alerting, which most states have not yet joined.

Background

Spring is a high-risk period in NSW, when heat and dry winds combine with storms and little rain. Fire agencies run hazard reduction burns when conditions allow, and this year's favourable weather has allowed more of that work than usual, according to the RFS commissioner.

Key Perspectives

NSW Rural Fire Service: residents should avoid any open flame activity and stay alert through the day because thunderstorms may bring lightning without meaningful rain. Bureau of Meteorology: conditions are extreme for fire danger, with well above average temperatures before a late afternoon change. Federal emergency management: the AusAlert system is a gamechanger for warning communities, but only two states have signed on so far, leaving a patchy national rollout.

What to Watch

Whether the forecast severe thunderstorms produce dry lightning and new fire starts in western and central NSW.
The late afternoon cool change, which could bring damaging winds.
Whether more states sign on to the AusAlert system after this fire danger period.

Sources

Total fire ban for Sydney, with 37C temperatures and risk of bushfires from ‘dry lightning’ — Australia news | The Guardian
Total fire ban for Sydney, with 37C temperatures and risk of bushfires from ‘dry lightning’ — World news | The Guardian