Homes are under threat from an out-of-control and fast-moving bushfire near Canberra, on a day when temperatures have soared across the state.
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Residents at Mount Fairy, near Lake George, have been told to prepare for the approaching fire and listen to firefighters on the ground, as temperatures in the region exceed 38 degrees.
The blaze has already burned through more than 2450 hectares of land around Tarago since it broke out on Tuesday morning.
Temperatures hit 37 degrees in Albion Park and 32 degrees in Bellambi on Tuesday. Wednesday is expected to be only slightly cooler in the southern Illawarra with a top of 32 degrees.
The Rural Fire Service has issued a total fire ban for Wednesday for the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, as well as large parts of Sydney and central NSW.
An emergency warning is in place for the fire around Tarago, which was moving east just before 6.30pm, near Taylors Creek Road, Bungendore Road and Mount Fairy Road.
"Firefighters are currently protecting properties that are under threat on Duralla Place and Kalbilli Close, Mount Fairy," the RFS said.
"The fire front has crossed Goulburn Road between Boro Road and Barnet Drive."
Residents have been advised to "shelter in place" as the fire front approaches. Two waterbombing planes and 11 other aircraft are helping firefighters tackle the blaze.
Overnight, temperatures in the Illawarra were expected to remain above 25 degrees.
The Bureau of Meteorology said temperatures would peak on Wednesday morning, before they eased in the afternoon.
"Relief is on the way, but brace yourselves for a horrible night on Tuesday," senior forecaster Neale Fraser said.
"We're still in the middle of the heatwave unfortunately, especially in western Sydney. There's a lot of hot air blowing over the top with the westerly.
"Wednesday will be another hot day until the cool change."
Another fire flared up on Tuesday afternoon in Gowan, near Bathurst. Sixty firefighters are fighting the 217-hectare blaze that is out of control, but not affecting property.
The cool change sweeping NSW on Wednesday was expected to bring easier firefighting conditions.
Sydney city's hottest night was recorded at 27.6 degrees on February 6, 2011. The second-warmest night was 27.1 degrees, on December 14 last year.
Penrith cracked a January record on Friday last week, dropping to a minimum of 25.5 degrees.
