SYDNEY: More than 20 schools in the eastern Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have been closed after authorities warned of a catastrophic fire danger amid extreme heat and strong winds.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) warned that catastrophic fire danger is forecast for NSW's Lower Central West Plains region, about 300 km west of Sydney, on Wednesday and issued an extreme fire danger warning for another 10 regions, including Greater Sydney.
The catastrophic fire danger warning for the Lower Central West Plains marks the first time since September 2023 that the BoM has issued the highest-level warning for any part of NSW.
Among the affected schools are Ariah Park Central, Barellan Central, Bedgerabong Public, Binya Public, Bogan Gate Public and Narrandera High School. All NSW independent schools remain operational.