Health warning over ‘hazardous’ smoke smoke that’s off the scale in Sydney

Sydney is currently drowning in dangerous smoke from the raging bush fires, with latest readings measuring city air 20 times worse than Beijing.

Residents in Sydney are being warned to stay inside due to “hazardous” air quality.

The city has been blanketed in smoke from a large fire burning northwest of Sydney. The NSW Rural Fire Service said smoke from an enormous bush fire burning in the Gospers Mountain was being blown across much of Sydney.

The RFS said the smoke would start to clear as the day warmed up and winds increased.

“However due to north westerly winds smoke from this fire is likely to affect Sydney over the coming days,” the RFS said in a statement.

A poor air quality alert has been issued by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment due to elevated particle (PM2.5) levels in Sydney.

Currently the reading stands at 2334 at around 9am in Sydney’s North-West — almost 20 times worse than Jakarta and Beijing.

The dangerously high reading makes the city’s air quality the worst in the world and twice as bad as Kolkata’s which today sits at 999, according to the World’s Air Pollution: Real-time Air Quality Index.

The smoke covering Sydney is from the Gospers Mountain bush fire. Picture: RFS

The RFS says there are still 51 fires burning across NSW. Picture; RFS

The NSW Government says fine smoke particles can affect the human breathing system.

The smaller the particles, the deeper they go into the lungs.

HEALTH PRECAUTIONS

• Residents are advised to stay indoors, with windows and doors closed, or stay in airconditioned premises, if possible.
• Avoid vigorous exercise, especially if you have asthma or a lung condition.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a mask designed to filter fine particles. Use a mask rated either P1 or P2. These are available from hardware stores.
• P2 masks are more effective in blocking the finest particles, however any mask has to be worn correctly over the nose and mouth to protect you.

Smoke covers the Sydney CBD. Picture Darren Ashley

Smoke in Newtown, Sydney. Picture; Phoebe Loomes

Ugh! Woken by the smell of smoke. Heavier than usual, this strong through closed windows. Thinking of all the asthmatics across Sydney 😷#bushfires #environment #newworldorder

— Miriam Cosic (@miriamcosic) November 18, 2019

Trouble breathing, chest impact dense #bushfire smoke blankets Sydney. Known nothing like it before.

— chris murphy (@chrismurphys) November 18, 2019

If you’re waking up to the smell of smoke this is why- THICK SMOKE HAZE is hitting #Sydney this morning as a result of a fire burning in the Hawkesbury region. A poor air quality alert has been issued with levels reaching HAZARDOUS. #Sydneyweather @SkyWeatherAUS @SkyNewsAust

— Samantha Chiari (@samanthachiari) November 18, 2019

What harbour bridge? Sydney smoke haze at extreme level. Can’t even see CBD from Yarranabbe Park. Pack your asthma puffer this morning. pic.twitter.com/HK6dd41olx

— Nick D-M (@NickDM) November 18, 2019

We’ve secretly replaced all of Sydney’s air with smoke. Let’s see if anyone notices. pic.twitter.com/GFn15IvWvl

— Jeffrey Simpson (@FadAstra) November 18, 2019

Firefighters and aircraft are working hard to put in containment lines at the Gospers Mountain bush fire burning in the Hawkesbury, ahead of hot and dry conditions tomorrow. #nswrfs #nswfires pic.twitter.com/tf2Hl7VAS1

— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) November 18, 2019

Another cloak of smoke, another total fire ban for #Sydney pic.twitter.com/vMybaeu4ct

— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) November 18, 2019

FIRES BURNING

The RFS said there were 51 bush or grass fires burning at the advice alert level across NSW at 9.15pm overnight.

Of those, 28 are yet to be contained.

“More than 1300 firefighters are working on these fires, undertaking backburning operations and strengthening containment lines ahead of forecast hot, dry and windy weather, with seven areas under a total fire ban,” the RFS said.