Bushfire destroys home in Katoomba

The Rural Fire Service issued an emergency warning for the fire in Katoomba after strong winds caused the fire to break containment lines, threatening homes in Cliff Drive, Brougham Street, Essendene Road and Moss Street.

The RFS said in a statement: "It appears one home has been destroyed by the fire in Cliff Drive. Additional firefighters have been sent to the fire.

"People in the area around Cliff Drive, Brougham Street, Essendene Road and Moss Street should monitor the situation. Seek shelter if the fire impacts on your property. Be aware of burning embers which may be blown from the fire."

Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill said two properties had been destroyed on Cliff Drive and another badly damaged. The RFS also stated two properties had been destroyed but later confirmed only one home was lost.

Thunderstorm activity in the area limited the use of aircraft and telephone warnings were sent to mobile and landline telephones in the area. 

A spokesman for the RFS said there were 50 firefighters in the area with an air crane and helicopters dropping water.

Last year, fires in October destroyed more than 200 houses in the Blue Mountains with some of the first residents having only just moved back into their rebuilt homes.

The Blue Mountains tourism board had only just launched an initiative to encourage visitors back to the area.

High fuel loads, coupled with warm, dry and windy weather, provided the dangerous conditions which fuelled last October's fires.

Saturday's fire broke out on the hottest day in Sydney since January.

In Port Stephens there was also a large bushfire in coastal heaths but it was not causing any immediate threat.

The RFS said there were 72 bush or grass fires across the state with 37 uncontained and a total of 600 firefighters in the field.

"Well above average" temperatures and thunderstorms marked the start of November with Observatory Hill in Sydney reaching 36.5 degrees and Sydney Airport the hottest place in the city at 37 degrees - 13 degrees hotter than the average for this time of year of 23.6.

The mixed bag included severe thunderstorm warnings from the Illawarra through Sydney to the Hunter, a total fire ban throughout NSW and extensive strong wind warnings.

The Bureau of Meteorology said it was the hottest day in the city since January 2 when the temperature was also 36.5 degrees.

"Its a pretty variable time of the year," said forecaster Jake Phillips.

"Our record highest for November was in 1982 when it was 41.8 but it is typical that we would get most of the warmer days later in the month. It is unusual but not record-breaking."

He said the heat was due to north-westerly winds brought down from the interior of Queensland ahead of a cold front.

"As that front approaches there's a pressure difference which makes the winds strengthen even further," Mr Phillips said.

Some slight relief came about 3pm in Sydney with temperatures dropping to the lower part of the 30s when a line of thunderstorms went through. They didn't deliver much in the way of rain but there were gusty winds with a speed of 90 kilometres an hour recorded at Holsworthy, he said.

Newcastle up to the mid-north coast at Taree and Kempsey were all similarly hot and with no cooling sea breeze effect, Sydney was as hot as the west, which is often a degree or two higher. 

The main cooler southerly change was expected in the early evening. 

The bureau's outlook suggests November will be slightly warmer and drier than average.

The State Emergency Service said gusts in the south Penrith area of 75 km/h brought a spike in calls with trees down and loose items being flung around. The service answered about 80 calls in western Sydney in an hour but there were no reports of injuries.

Melbourne Cup day on Tuesday looks promising for both racing and the fashion stakes with forecasts of 29 degrees and "mostly sunny".

- Sydney Morning Herald