Australian authorities say cooler temperatures and light rain will barely give firefighters the chance to 'take a breath'.
Temperatures continued to break records at the weekend, reaching a searing 48-point-nine degrees celsius in Penrith - a new record for the Sydney basin.
While the cooler conditions are a welcome reprieve, mass evacuations continue in coastal towns as the military and police reach people who have been trapped for days.
One of the worst-affected areas of the Australian bushfires has been the New South Wales South Coast, where the beaches -- normally places of relaxation -- were once again places of refuge this weekend. Bega Valley Shire Mayor Kristy McBain speaks to Leigh-Marama McLachlan
