NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian today declared a seven-day state of emergency amid warnings the bushfires ravaging the state’s north coast are set to worsen in the next 24 hours.

The Greater Sydney region has been issued a “catastrophic” fire danger outlook for tomorrow, as has the Greater Hunter area, including the Blue Mountains and Central Coast districts, and the Illawarra/Shoalhaven area.

A statewide total fire ban is in place today and tomorrow.

“As we speak [today], we continue to have more than 60 fires burning across NSW,” NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told a media briefing this morning. “More than half of them remain uncontained.

“Not only are we dealing with an extraordinary [number] of fires in north-eastern NSW and elsewhere, tomorrow we are facing some horrendous conditions.”

The last time a state of emergency was declared in NSW was in 2013, when out-of-control bushfires broke out in the Blue Mountains.

“Our state has already been hit by some of the most devastating bushfires we have ever seen, with three lives lost and more than 150 structures destroyed,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“With catastrophic weather conditions predicted for this week, particularly Tuesday with hot weather and strong winds, I have decided to… make this declaration.”

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) on Saturday declared the latest NSW blazes a catastrophe, its fourth bushfire disaster of the year for the industry.

About 150 claims have been received as of this morning, and the figure is expected to rise when residents are given clearance to return to their properties.

“In some circumstances, it may be a number of days before they can return to their properties,” ICA spokesman Campbell Fuller told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“We expect claims figures would rise significantly once property owners return to their properties and are able to better assess the extent of the damage.

“Insurers are also deeply concerned about the bushfire conditions that are expected on Tuesday and natural disaster recovery teams have been mobilised, but they will not be entering these areas until emergency services give the all-clear.”

Insurance companies have paid out about $76.9 million in claims this year from the three bushfire catastrophes, including in northern NSW and south-east Queensland in September.

Suncorp says its team is already mobilised and ready to assist customers affected by the fires.

Meanwhile, Victoria has launched an advertising blitz to prepare residents for what is expected to be a hot and dry summer season ahead.

“Victoria is one of the most fire-prone places on earth, and many people will be shocked by what they learn about fire in this campaign,” Premier Daniel Andrews said. “But the truth is, we need people to sit up and take notice.”

Commentators have linked climate change with the unprecedented large number of bushfires in NSW and Queensland so early in the bushfire season – a link that has also been made in California.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said today that he finds such talk “galling”, adding that climate change is a concern of “inner-city lefties” and “the ravings of some pure, enlightened and woke capital city greenies”.