New South Wales and Queensland are facing "catastrophic" conditions as bushfires rage across Australia.
The fires have already claimed three lives and destroyed more than 150 homes.
- Australia fires: Motion map shows smoke hitting New Zealand on Wednesday
- Volunteer firefighter blames environmentalists for catastrophic fires in Australia
- Australia bushfires: Maps reveal extent of blazes as Sydney braces for 'catastrophe'
Residents of Sydney's North Shore have been told it's too late to leave and they should seek shelter as the fire approaches. An estimated 31,500 North Shore properties are under threat from the bushfires.
What you need to know
- Three people have died and over 150 homes destroyed
- A state of emergency has been declared in New South Wales
- The NSW Rural Fire Service has issued 14 emergency warnings for bushfires
- Areas around Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle face "catastrophic" fire conditions
- New Zealand firefighters have been sent to help contain the fires
- Gusty southerly winds are expected to spread the fires further
The live updates are now finished.
9:40pm - The RFS has issued a Watch and Act for a fire burning in the area of Farnell Avenue, Loftus in the Royal National Park. The fire is spreading quickly. A Watch and Act has also been isued for Gulf Road as firefighters battle the blaze.
An emergency warning has been issued for the Rumba dump fire after the blaze breached containment lines. It is currently affecting Upper Lansdowne. Residents have been urged to seek shelter as the fire front arrives.
9:15pm - Local media outlets are reporting that the gusty southerly winds could reach 90 kmh.
The wind change is expected to spread more than a dozen emergency bushfires in NSW, sending the flames in a new direction.
"We are still concerned with the movement of the southerly change as it heads through NSW over the coming hours," said Rural Fire Service (RFS) NSW Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, according to AAP.
8:55pm - The Bureau of Meteorology in NSW has tweeted that the southerly change is approaching Sydney now (7:02pm local time).
"Change is visible on the radar. Expecting the temperature to drop very quickly with strong and gusty southerly winds."
The Myall Creek Road fire in Richmond Valley has crossed the Pacific Highway at New Italy and is spreading quickly, the RFS tweeted.
The RFS say it is too late for residents in Bungawalbin, New Italy and The Gap Road to leave and have urged them to seek shelter.
8:30pm - Smoke from fire activity combined with a dust storm is visible across Sydney and Newcastle.
At 6:30pm there were still 13 fires at Emergency Warning level, seven at Watch and Act. The RFS say "dangerous conditions" are expected for a few more hours.
8:20pm - The bush fire burning near York Street at Greta is now under control.
8:09pm - The Liberation Trail fire in Clarence Valley has breached containment lines and is threatening Yarracooma, Paddys Plain, Cradle Creek and Lowanna.
"If you are in these areas, leave now towards Dorrigo before it is too late," the RFS tweeted.
7:50pm - Firefighters have contained the Cliff Drive fire in Katoomba.
An emergency warning has been issued for the Liberation Trail fire west of Coffs Harbour.
The Canoon Road fire in South Turramurra is under control and the immediate threat to properties has eased, say the RFS.
Firefighters are winning the battle against the Wine Country Drive fire in North Rothbury.
7:28pm - The South Turramurra fire has been downgraded from an emergency warning to advice level by the RFS.
ABC reporter Nick Dole said a number of homes in the suburb came under ember attack.
7:10pm - Fire retardant has been dropped on houses in the North Shore suburb of South Turramurra as an emergency-warned fire burns close by.
6:59pm - The Rural Fire Service (RFS) has issued emergency warnings to Lower Creek, the area west of Kempsey and Mount Seaview, west of Wauchope. Residents are advised to seek shelter as it's too late to evacuate.
6:45pm - Fire has arrived on Sydney's North Shore.
The bush fire is burning in the area of Canoon Road, located in the suburb of South Turramurra.
NSW Rural Fire Service said the fire is spreading quickly and it's too late for residents to leave.
"Seek shelter as the fire approaches," they tweeted.
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said there are 12 fires at emergency level. One firefighter has been seriously injured while battling the blazes in NSW.
The Commissioner said "very strong winds" are coming through the Hunter region and across the central Tablelands, driving a great deal of the fire's behaviour.
6:12pm - Another emergency warning has been issued, this time for Gospers Mountain with a fire threatening the areas north of Kallool and south of Fleet Wing.
5:45pm - A severe weather warning for damaging winds has been issued as a southerly change works up the NSW coast.
There are fears the winds will whip up the flames and increase the size of the fires.
5:25pm - Air quality levels in south-western Sydney have reached near hazardous levels due to the smoke from the bushfires. Experts warn it could have damaging health effects.
"Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres can make it past our body's natural defences that filter out particles (ie the hairs in our nose) and go deep into our lung tissue and potentially into our bloodstream," says Dr Tara Strand, rural fire research leader at Scion Rural Fire Research Group.
"I feel for those in what we call the 'sensitive groups' such as elderly, pregnant women, asthmatics and those with weakened immune systems, they must be especially cautious with their smoke exposure and this becomes immensely difficult in a wildfire season like what NSW is experiencing."
5pm - The statewide total fire ban across NSW has been extended until midnight on Wednesday.
4:45pm - A tenth emergency warning has been issued for NSW due to the Rumba Dump fire.
4:15pm - NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons warns the fires are "getting closer to population centres".
"That's why we invested very much in the predictive maps earlier today," he says. "To show that these fires are getting closer to population centres".
3:55pm - Emergency warnings have been issued for two more fires in NSW.
The first is the fire in the Washpool State Forest near Coombadjha and the second for the Liberation Trail fire.
This brings the total of emergency warnings issued to eight.
3:40pm - The danger will increase and conditions worsen as a wind change moves across the fire-affected regions.
The Australia Bureau of Meteorology warns the change will bring up southerly winds.
"Ahead of the change winds will be strong and gusty, so fires are going to spread quickly and embers will be carried well ahead of any ongoing fires," it says.
"Then as the southerly winds move through, the direction of the fire front will change. So this really is a dangerous situation."
3:30pm - A major NSW fire has broken through its containment lines.
The fire, at Carrai East, north-west of Port Macquarie is now "spreading quickly" and putting residents at risk.
"If you are in the area west of Kempsey you are at risk. It is too late to leave. Seek shelter as the fire approaches," the NSW Rural Fire Service warns.
3:23pm - Around 100,000 homes in the Sydney area are said to be at risk as greater Sydney suffers "catastrophic" fire conditions.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, more than 100,000 properties in the Sydney basin alone are located within 100 metres of bushland - making them at risk of destruction.
Suburban areas near bushland on Sydney's outskirts are most at risk, including the Hawkesbury region, Hornsby, Penrith, Camden and Sutherland.
3:15pm - Residents in some towns are being told it's too late to leave.
"The fire is spreading quickly. If you are in the Nowendoc and Mount George area, you are at risk," the Rural Fire Service says.
"It is too late to leave. Seek shelter as the fire approaches. Protect yourself from the heat of the fire."
Newshub.
