A severe heatwave gripped New South Wales over the weekend, with the Hunter and Central Coast regions bearing the brunt of scorching conditions. Temperatures soared past the 40-degree mark at multiple locations, including Williamtown, Lake Macquarie, Tocal, Gosford, and Mangrove Mountain on Saturday, January 10, 2026.
Premier Issues Stern Warning as Health System Braces
NSW Premier Chris Minns addressed the public on Saturday morning, delivering a sobering message about the dangers of the extreme heat. "We do lose people on these incredibly hot days. People die as a result of extreme heat in Australia," Mr Minns stated. He urged residents across the state to take necessary precautions to stay safe.
The Premier highlighted the anticipated pressure on emergency services, noting it would be an "incredibly challenging day for the health system, as well as the RFS and Fire and Rescue." He called on the community to look after vulnerable neighbours, the elderly, the young, and family pets.
State authorities were preparing for a surge in demand, with ambulance services anticipating thousands of calls over the weekend. A cooler southerly change was forecast to sweep through the Hunter late Saturday evening, offering some relief from the consecutive hot days.
Total Fire Ban Declared as NSW Sends Help to Victoria
While the Hunter region was largely spared from major bushfire outbreaks, the NSW Rural Fire Service declared a total fire ban over much of the state's south-east. Sydney faced extreme fire danger ratings.
RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin confirmed 44 fires were burning in NSW, with four not yet contained, though none were considered of serious concern at the time. He reported that the service entered the day in a state of readiness, with up to 600 backup firefighters standing by.
The state's preparedness allowed it to dispatch approximately 90 firefighters to assist with a widespread bushfire emergency unfolding in Victoria. Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib acknowledged that while NSW was prepared, their "brothers and sisters" across the border were facing more dire threats.
Broader Impacts: Winds, Health, and Community Wellbeing
The Bureau of Meteorology issued warnings for damaging west to northwesterly winds, expected to strengthen ahead of a trough moving through southeastern NSW on Sunday. A separate strong southwesterly change also prompted warnings for damaging winds up to 90km/h from South Australia to eastern Victoria.
Beyond the immediate physical dangers, mental health organisation Beyond Blue warned of the psychological toll of the heatwave and bushfire threat. Spokesperson Luke Martin noted that successive hot days and emergency situations could lead to significant fear, anxiety, and stress, even for those not directly in fire zones.
Dr Martin emphasised that intense emotions were a normal response to such adverse conditions and encouraged people to seek support through available counselling services if needed. The weekend's temperatures, while severe, remained below historical record extremes for the region.
