Three regions in New South Wales are expecting unprecedented catastrophic fire conditions today - the most serious fire rating possible.
The state's police minister David Elliott says it could be the most dangerous week of bushfires Australia's ever seen. Residents of the Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter and Illawarra Shoalhaven areas have been warned to stay well away from bushfire prone areas and to be ready to evacuate.
Hundreds of schools in high risk areas are closed.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, says his advice to people in the danger zones is simple - they should not be there.
He says the main focus for firefighters will be saving lives, not property. Large parts of New South Wales are also forecast to have severe and extreme fire danger in the north coast and northern areas.
ABC reporter Scott Levi is in Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast.
