Rural Fire Service (RFS) crews are continuing to fight blazes in the Hunter during what is forecast to be the worst bushfire season since black summer.
Despite easing conditions, 82 bush and grass fires are still burning across the state with at least 12 in the Hunter.
At 3:40pm on Thursday, 31 of those fires were yet to be contained and 518 RFS volunteers with 215 trucks were working in NSW.
All fires in the Hunter remain at 'advice' level and none have been escalated today. It is understood no homes are under threat.
Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesperson Greg Allan said the Bee Box One fire on Stroud Hill Road, Main Creek, was of particular concern. It is being controlled but has burnt about 280 hectares.
Another large Hunter fire on Allyn River Road, Upper Allyn, has burnt 375 hectares.
A change from south-westerly to south-easterly winds near Singleton on Thursday evening could pose threats to these fire fronts.
"Any wind change is something of concern for any fire," Mr Allan said. "As the wind change goes across a fire ground, it changes direction and can also increase fire activity.
"It is something firefighters will be actively looking at and keeping an eye on at any fire across the state today," he said.
There has been gusty wind across the region on Thursday. Newcastle has experienced consistent winds of about 45km/h this afternoon but the highest gust was 69km/h, which hit the coast at 2:34pm.
It has beat Newcastle's highest gust in September 2022, which was a 52km/h south-easterly on September 3.
Singleton has seen slightly less windy conditions today, with most speeds sitting at 15km/h. The highest gust was 41km/h at 1:10pm. Maitland's highest gust was 43km/h at 3:03pm.
Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) spokesperson Jake Phillips said Hunter temperatures will continue to ease into this evening and tomorrow.
We can expect Newcastle to sit around 13 degrees tonight. Scone and other inland places will get down to about six degrees.
The maximum across the Hunter will be "around the 20 degree mark" during the day on Friday with little change over the weekend.
"It will be on the cool side tomorrow," Mr Phillips said. "[That's from] the south-easterly winds and there is likely to be more cloud cover, too."
But Mr Allan said cooler weather does not diminish the risk of fires, particularly those burning in the Upper Hunter.
"It is very important to monitor conditions," Mr Allan said. "Stay up-to-date with the Fires Near Me NSW app. If you are near an area where firefighters are working and it is safe to do so, you can get information from them. Listen to local radio and ring the bushfire information line on 1800 679 737 should you need any assistance."
We may experience some rain on Friday, though it should not be relied on, Mr Phillips said.
"There might be a couple of showers, but I wouldn't hold out for anything of significance," he said. "It will be quite hit and miss. A lot of places will probably miss out.
"Those that do see a couple of showers will only see one or two millimetres, so it's not [going to] be the sort of rain we need."
The Hunter is forecast to have a 'moderate' fire danger rating on Friday and into the weekend, along with most of the state.
At this stage, only the North Western and Upper Central Western Plains will have a 'high' rating on Friday. No areas in the state are expected to reach 'extreme' levels.
