NSW fires LIVE updates: State of emergency declared amid worsening bushfires, heatwave

What is certain is that firefighters will be battling long into the night, and are hoping that progress can be made in slightly-better conditions tomorrow, before it gets extremely hot and windy again on Saturday. New South Wales in a state of emergency.

• As of 10pm, there are four emergency warnings in place: Currowan, Gospers Mountain, Green Wattle Creek, and Kerry Ridge
• Opposition leader Anthony Albanese will travel to the Blue Mountains tomorrow morning to meet with RFS personnel
• More than 100 fires remain active across the state
• A total fire ban remains in place for NSW until Sunday
• In the areas of Bargo, Balmoral, Buxton at least 20 structures were lost, including at least 12 homes
• Temperatures today across Australia may break the all-time national average for the third day in a row, but that will become clearer tomorrow
• At the Nullarbor weather station, the temperature of 49.9 degrees marked the hottest ever December day, anywhere in the world.

The massive blaze on the south coast is at emergency level again, as it burns between Batemans Bay and Ulladulla and east of Braidwood.

Here is some footage of a water-bombing  plane picking up water from nearby Burrill Lake today, to help fight the fire. 

Due to the poor air quality in the area, Santa photos were cancelled at Cronulla Mall on Thursday.

A sign apologising for Santa's absence at Cronulla Mall, with Scott Morrison's office in the background.

Ironically, that shock of blue in the background is Scott Morrison's office, in his local electorate of Cook. The PM has come under fire for his absence this week, culminating in protests outside Kirribilli House earlier today. 

AAP reported that ten people including Greens MP David Shoebridge were arrested as climate protesters launched a "camp-out" at Mr Morrison's Sydney prime ministerial residence.

NSW Police said nine adults and a child had been arrested for disobeying a police direction to move on.

Protesters, including students representing the School Strike 4 Climate movement, set up tents on the road outside Mr Morrison's official residence on Thursday morning, calling it the "Kirribilli camp-out".

They are calling on the federal government to take immediate action on climate change and urged no new coal and gas projects, a transition to 100 per cent renewables and funding for affected fossil fuel workers.

The fires at Gospers Mountain and Green Wattle Creek continue to burn at emergency level, and now a third fire in the Wollemi National Park, Putty State Forest and Coricudgy State Forest has joined them.

The Kerry Ridge fire, west of Muswellbrook, is out of control and more than 81,000 hectares in size. Residents in Olinda, Nullo Mountain and Bogee have been told it's too late to leave. 

The federal Opposition Leader was spotted at a supermarket in Marrickville, loading up on supplies before a trip to the Blue Mountains to visit with Rural Fire Service volunteers. 

Mr Albanese will be heading up to fire-affected areas early tomorrow morning. 

Reporter Laura Chung was in Bilpin today, alongside photographer Nick Moir just metres away from the fire. She filmed this footage:

Along a road in Berambing at about 4pm this afternoon, flames filled the tree canopy and fire whirls appeared when the main front of the Gospers Mountain backburn caught up with a spot fire.

Firefighters raced to the scene, attempting to stop the fire crossing the road but were pushed back as it grew in intensity.

Fire and Rescue attempt to hold the Gospers Mountain fire from crossing the Bells line of road. Credit: Nick Moir

Embers rained down nearby, starting smaller spot fires that were quickly enveloped by the larger one.

Three hours after the fire ripped through the area, we’ve been escorted back through the street.

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting maximum temperatures of 47 degrees for the Penrith CBD on Saturday, and 33 degrees in the Sydney CBD.

Saturday is expected to be the next big test for the state's over-stretched firefighters, as conditions are expected to worsen after easing slightly on Friday.

More than 100 fires are already burning across the state, about half of which have not been contained. Two are at emergency levels. 

The Herald's chief photographer Nick Moir remains in Berambing, which sits on the Bells Line of Road in the Blue Mountains.

Fire and Rescue NSW workers attempted to stop the emergency-level Gospers Mountain fire from crossing the Bells Line of Road to no avail, he says.

"It roared over the road, destroying power lines and cutting the various Fire Brigade resources in half stuck on either side of the fire," he says.

Fire and Rescue attempt to hold the Gospers Mountain blaze from crossing the Bells Line of Road.Credit: Nick Moir

Fire and Rescue workers battling the Gospers Mountain blaze in Berambing as it crosses the Bells Line of Road.Credit: Nick Moir

Nullarbor in South Australia has now outstripped Eucla in Western Australia to set a new record temperature for anywhere in Australia in December.

Eucla had set the record earlier on Thursday when the mercury hit 49.8 degrees, topping its already record-breaking 49.6 degrees earlier in the day.

But Nullarbor hit 49.9 degrees later on Thursday to take out the record. For now.

The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed on Thursday that Australia set a new record for its hottest-ever day on Wednesday, with maximum temperatures reaching an average of 41.9 degrees across the country.

The previous record of 40.9 degrees had been set only a day earlier, outstripping the previous record of 40.3 degrees that was set on January 7, 2013.

The Herald's chief photographer Nick Moir is on the ground in Berambing in the Blue Mountains.

He captured these images as Fire and Rescue NSW workers were confronted by a wall of fire as the Gospers Mountain fire crossed the Bells Line of Road.

Fire and Rescue NSW escape flames as the Gospers Mountain fire crosses the Bells Line of Rd at Berambing.Credit: Nick Moir

The backburn crosses the Bells Line of Road at Berambing. Credit: Nick Moir