People in Sydney woke up to a city shrouded in smoke on Tuesday, as scores of bushfires rage across the region.

Strong winds overnight brought smoke from fires inland, pushing the air quality in Australia's largest city to beyond "hazardous" levels at times.

On social media, locals have described 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 state's north since October.

Read more: Sydney blanketed by smoke from massive bushfires