Heavy smoke has covered Australia’s largest city, Sydney, as scores of bushfires rage across the region.

Strong winds brought smoke overnight from an inland blaze north of the city, pushing Sydney’s air quality to beyond “hazardous” levels, officials said.

On social media, locals described waking up to hazy skies and the stench of smoke in their homes.

About five million people live in the state capital of New South Wales, which has been affected for weeks by fires.

Six people have died in bushfires in the north of the state since October.

Sydney residents were warned about severe fire danger on Tuesday, as temperatures looked to soar to 37C (98.6F) in parts of the city.

Health officials advised people to stay indoors and avoid strenuous activity. New South Wales Ambulance service said those with respiratory issues should “take extra care”.

“The smoke is likely to hang around for the next few days,” warned the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.

Last week, Sydney faced unprecedented bushfire danger when blazes hit its suburbs and parts of its outskirts.

Authorities said the source of the smoke on Tuesday came from a blaze in Wollemi National Park, 150km (93 miles) north-west of the city, which had grown to 150,000 hectares in size.

Fire officials warned that hot and windy conditions could exacerbate blazes on Tuesday.

Massive bushfires continue to burn in populated coastal and inland regions to the city’s north. Many of those areas have experienced poor air quality for weeks.

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