Related coverage:
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Gusts of wind reached speeds of 76kmph around Bega on Wednesday.
According to Weatherzone wind speeds hit 59kmph during the day, mostly heading in a westerly direction. The temperature reached a high of 23 degrees Celsius around midday.
A NSW Rural Fire Service spokesperson said the windy conditions had made it very difficult to contain a bushfire that spread from Yankees Gap Rd near Bemboka that morning.
Around midday, NSW severe weather manager for the Bureau of Meteorology Simon Louis announced a severe weather warning for much of South East NSW due to damaging wind gusts, while a fire weather warning had been released for the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Hunter regions.
“The strong winds are associated with an approaching cold front, but they’re also very dry winds,” Mr Louis said.
“So we have very low relative humidity and the strong winds and dry conditions are combining to cause very high to severe fire danger conditions in the Illawarra in particular, but also potentially in Sydney and the Hunter.”
He said the state had a very dry lead into the season so there were very dry fuels that were also contributing to the dangerous conditions.
Mr Louis expected the winds to remain to remain strong throughout the day, saying he did not expect winds to ease until overnight on Wednesday once the cold front had moved through.
Significant rainfall is not expected in the next week and dry, generally windy conditions were expected to persist for the next little while, he said.