In a curious anomaly, rural areas around the territory are under a total fire ban on Thursday for the first time this year - but not the ACT.
The NSW Rural Fire Service said that the total fire ban had been declared for the Lower Central West Plains, Southern Ranges and Southern Slopes regions due to forecast hot and windy conditions.
These regions encompass the shires of Goulburn Mulwaree, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Upper Lachlan, Yass Valley, and the Snowy Valleys to the south.
The Monaro Alpine region, to the ACT's south, does not have a ban, either.
Under total fire ban conditions, no fires may be lit in the open and all fire permits are suspended. A barbeque or wood fire pizza oven which uses solid fuel, such as wood, charcoal or heat beads, cannot be used outside.
Lighting a fire on a day of total fire ban attracts an on the spot fine of $2200.
Harvesting may also be suspended in some regional areas due to the fire risk generated by the operating machinery.
Canberra's forecast for Thursday is 26 degrees, partly cloudy, with winds northwesterly at 15 to 25km/h increasing to 25 to 40km/h in the middle of the day.
But there will be a temporary break in the warm weather.
Temperatures are expected to drop significantly on Friday as troughs and cold fronts associated with a low pressure system cross southeast Australia during the next few days.
The temperature will drop to a maximum of 18 degrees on Friday, with only a five per cent chance of rain, and gradually climb back up in the following three days, with a predicted top of 27 on Sunday.
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