The Hunter is bracing for catastrophic fire conditions on Tuesday amid an unprecedented bush fire crisis.
The Rural Fire Service is urging residents living close to the bush to prepare their homes now ahead of worsening conditions expected over the next 48 hours.
The RFS says homes are not designed to withstand these conditions and lives and property will be at risk if a fire starts and takes hold.
A Total Fire Ban is in force for the next two days.
Lake Macquarie Council has advised Doyalson RSL, Toronto Workers Club, Club Macquarie at Argenton and Wests Cardiff will serve as evacuation centres should severe bushfires take hold.
The University of Newcastle has announced it will close its Callaghan and Ourimbah campuses and the Hunter Medical Research Institute to ensure staff and student safety.
The University's Newcastle city and Sydney campuses will remain open.
Students with exams scheduled for closed campuses on Tuesday will now sit them on Saturday.
The NSW Department of Education has advised a number of Hunter schools, both government and non-government, will be closed on Tuesday. The full list can be found on the Department website.
The Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has also advised the St Joseph's Aberdeen bus from Merriwa will not run on Tuesday.
In Lake Macquarie, Mount Sugarloaf and the Sugarloaf State Conservation Area, Fernleigh Track and Green Point Foreshore Reserve at Valentine are closed until Wednesday afternoon.
City of Newcastle has announced the closure of Blackbutt Reserve and says an emergency plan of management has been coordinated to ensure the welfare of staff and wildlife.
All Landcare sites and National Parks across the region, including Glenrock State Conservation Area, have also been closed with a reassessment scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Residents are urged to stay up to date with the situation via the Rural Fire Service website or the Fires Near Me App available on Android and Apple devices.
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| Image: ABC |
