Sydney air quality to worsen as 'apocalyptic' conditions continue

Lingering smoke from bushfires will again create poor air quality in parts of Sydney on Tuesday.

Air quality reached hazardous levels in parts of southwestern Sydney on Monday evening and was recorded as poor in parts of the city's east.

The state government says air quality on Tuesday will be "poor due to particles" from the extensive smoke coming from bushfires burning across the state.

Smoke arrived in Sydney from a bushfire burning in the Blue Mountains, just south of Katoomba.

A temperature inversion forming over the city on Monday night could trap smoke in the Sydney basin on Tuesday, the NSW Rural Fire Service says.

"Smoke levels are expected to be similar if not worse than experienced over recent mornings," the NSWRFS said in a statement.

As of 6am on Tuesday morning, Sydney’s air quality was ranked as the 24th most polluted across the world.

Air quality in Sydney’s southwest was deemed as unhealthy, according to the Air Quality Index, and hazardous by the NSW Government.

It has become a common occurrence in recent weeks and residents took to social media to question when it will end.

“Three weeks of this makes it very hard to ignore the changing world we're in. Time for me to wake up,” one person urged.

Many noted that the current blanket of smoke differed from previous declines in air quality, with a strong burning smell and taste in the air.

“Can’t have the doors open because of the burning smell…,” one person tweeted.

“The sun is burning orange. I can smell smoke in my office. Apocalyptic weather incoming,” another wrote.

“Bushfire smoke decided to turn up late on a Monday to our office and now nobody can breathe THANKS,” one person said.

NSW Health Director of Environmental Health Dr Richard Broome continues to remind people to stay indoors, especially those with respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Over 100 fires continue to burn across NSW

There were some 125 bush and grass fires burning across NSW on Monday evening with 54 of these uncontained.

There are no total fire bans in place for Tuesday but there is a "very high" fire danger stretching along the NSW coast and in the northern parts of the state.

The out-of-control Currowan fire north of Batemans Bay was burning across more than 16,000 hectares on Monday night, with gusty winds pushing it towards coastal communities.

Firefighters worked throughout Monday night to protect properties from the fast-moving blaze.

The Bureau of Meteorology says smoke is forecast to linger in parts of Sydney into Tuesday.

The heavy smoke blanketing the city is being blown from large bushfires in the Blue Mountains and near Warragamba Dam.

Sydney has been regularly plagued by hazardous air quality levels as bushfires have raged in recent weeks.

A fire burning in the Blue Mountains near Katoomba was downgraded from a watch and act alert level to an advice alert on Monday night.

Firefighters had previously warned residents the 600-hectare fire was spreading towards "built-up areas".

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Two million hectares of NSW land have been burnt since July in more than 7000 fires, with authorities dubbing it the "most challenging bushfire season ever".

Six people have died while 673 homes have been destroyed to date.

With AAP

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