Sydney fires: NSW roads closed due to fires – air quality reaches dangerous levels

According to NSW authorities, fire damage is compounded by the fumes, with air quality markedly worsened by the advancing flames.

Residents living in Sydney and on Australia’s east coast have been warned to stay indoors, as air pollution endangers those with breathing problems.

Air quality index ratings for Sydney show 221 micrograms of particulates per cubic metre, a “Very Unhealthy” rating.

In the lower Hunter Region, officials recorded 306 micrograms, deemed “hazardous”.