Temperatures up to 12 degrees Celcius above average are expected in Queensland as firefighters continue to battle dozens of fires across the state.
The severe fire conditions forecast for Friday have emergency crews on the alert following fears properties have been lost to a fast-moving bushfire on Queensland's Darling Downs.
Late Thursday, a large fire near Millmerran west of Toowoomba had blackened almost 1200 hectares and was raging in the Western Creek State Forest near Cypress Gardens and Forest Ridge.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services issued a Watch and Act warning for the area early Friday morning.
Residents are being told to follow their bushfire survival plans and be ready to leave as "the situation could get worse quickly."
More than 200,000 hectares have been burnt across the state since the beginning of the unprecedented bushfire season.
Since early November, 20 homes have burnt to the ground.
Meanwhile, temperatures up to 12 degrees Celsius above average and above 40 degrees Celsius expected in the Lockyer Valley and Ipswich on Friday.
"In eastern parts of Queensland, we are experiencing heatwave conditions as we are seeing temperatures between two and six degrees above average," the Bureau of Meteorology's Jess Gardner said.
"That will continue to increase over the coming days, peaking on Friday and Saturday getting up to 12 degrees above average."
Long nights across NSW
Firefighters have endured a tough night battling blazes stretching from the NSW south coast all the way to the Queensland border, while another day of severe fire danger and Sydney smoke haze has been forecast.
There were 96 bushfires burning across the state on Friday morning, with 46 uncontained and more than 2000 firefighters in the field.
Six fires were on Friday at "watch and act" level including the Currowan fire north of Batemans Bay, at Green Wattle Creek west of the Warragamba Dam and a cluster of fires north of Sydney at Three Mile, Gospers Mountain and the Little L Complex and Paddock Run fires near Singleton.
Home and property losses have been reported by the RFS, which says it will assess the full extent of damage throughout Friday.
NSW Rural Fire Service crews as the Three Mile fire approaches Mangrove Mountain north of Sydney, Thursday, December 5, 2019. Source: AAP
Rural Fire Service NSW deputy commissioner Rob Rogers warned the fires were"very active" and could return to emergency level during the day as wind increases and warm conditions kick in.
Almost the entire coastal area of NSW and much of the state's northeast is under a severe fire danger rating, while total fire bans are in place for the southern ranges, Illawarra-Shoalhaven, central ranges, Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, northern slopes and northwestern regions.
Additional total fire bans were issued on Friday morning for the far north coast, north coast and New England regions.
Meanwhile, Sydney residents woke up to another day of thick smoke haze and authorities warned the poor air quality conditions would linger.
