<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sydney and other areas of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/new-south-wales" rel="" target="_blank" title="New South Wales "><span>New South Wales</span></a><span> are under a total fire ban as the state faces extreme fire danger ratings today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Windy conditions and temperatures up to 29 degrees have sparked total fire bans across greater Sydney, the North Western and Northern Slopes region. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Winds are expected to reach up to 50km along the coast while Sydney will experience southwesterly winds between 25 to 35km/h before they increase to about 30 to 40km/h in the early afternoon.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/thomastown-man-scales-crane-at-construction-site-in-melbourne/efc2c20e-daa4-42ba-9c64-29f43c6219f2" target="_blank"><strong><span>Man scales crane at construction site in Melbourne</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Windy conditions will ease to 15 to 20km/h in the late afternoon. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The areas under a total fire ban include: The Hills, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Burwood, Camden, Campbelltown, Canada Bay, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Kogarah, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Liverpool, Mosman, North Sydney, Parramatta, Penrith, Randwick, Ryde, Strathfield, Sutherland, Sydney, Waverley, Willoughby, Woollahra, Bayside, Canterbury-Bankstown, Central Coast, Cumberland, Georges River, Inner West, Northern Beaches.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There are currently 26 bushfires burning across the state at the advice level. </span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2024/01/03/13/26/weather-news-pictures-2024-australia"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/As7AaZ6HKKqmCY38NOKyK0-nWIw=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F6b43121d-f28b-4998-bdb8-fd4d0144191b" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/As7AaZ6HKKqmCY38NOKyK0-nWIw=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F6b43121d-f28b-4998-bdb8-fd4d0144191b 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/_3OM1QdwJRq5Qtmx_4zxn9L2s4w=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F6b43121d-f28b-4998-bdb8-fd4d0144191b 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">'Intense few days' as keepers care for zoo animals near fire zone</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2024/01/03/13/26/weather-news-pictures-2024-australia">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-under-total-fire-ban-as-bushfire-danger-levels-hit-extreme/91d22617-4a3d-49ce-8e8b-7bbe27b82d33" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, the rest of the state has been issued high to moderate fire danger warnings today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The fire bans will be lifted tomorrow as conditions ease just in time for Sydneysiders to fire up the barbeque on Christmas Day.</span></div></div>