Don't let Monday's slightly cooler weather fool you, Illawarra firefighters are prepared for severe, hot and windy fire conditions on Tuesday with temperatures expected to reach the mid 30s.
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The Illawarra got a small reprieve from hot and humid temperatures on Monday and over the weekend which allowed firefighters to bring the Green Wattle Creek blaze near Warragamba Dam and Currowan fire down to an advice level.
Conditions eased across the fireground on Sunday allowing crews to slow the spread of fire and undertake backburning where possible.
The Rural Fire Service upgraded the fire danger warning to 'severe' for Tuesday with a total fire ban in place.
The mercury in Wollongong is expected to reach 33 degrees with winds and low humidity. Smoke haze is also likely.
In the Albion Park area, the temperature could hit 35 degrees.
Hot dry northwesterly winds across the state are forecast ahead of a cooler southwest to southerly change spreading through the west and southeast during the day.
Illawarra RFS district officer Dave Hitchens has urged residents to be vigilant and report any fires early.
"Tuesday's conditions will be particularly bad with high temperatures," he said.
"We will have several units on standby in the area and will support surrounding areas with firefighting resources if needed.
"Don't be complacent. Just because we had a cooler day on Monday and will probably have another on Wednesday, doesn't mean we are out of the significant fire period.
"If a fire starts, it can build quickly because it is so dry."
Mr Hitchens said there would be multiple appliances called to any report of a fire on Tuesday and crews would be on high alert for any blaze in the Helensburgh, Darkes Forest and Otford areas.
"We will also be patrolling areas such as in Balgownie and Croome Road which are known hotspots for arson," he said.
Temperatures are forecast to drop to the low 20s in Wollongong later in the week.
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting the city could get a thunderstorm on Thursday and rain across Friday and the weekend.
"The amount of rain expected is one to five millimetres on Thursday or Friday if we are lucky," Mr Hitchens said.
"That isn't really going to do anything but it might stop us backburning.
"There is still no substantial rain on the horizon."
Mr Hitchens added 40 firefighters and 10 appliances had been deployed to assist the Green Wattle Creek fire in Wollondilly on Monday.
"Illawarra volunteers have been amazing and have put in countless hours," he said.
"They continue to turn up and support their community and the ones near them."
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