NSW has so far been spared the severe fire dangers this summer that might have been expected given the record heat for the state - and Australia overall - for both December and January.

Aside from Thursday's southerly buster that buffeted Sydney and was strong enough to break up a lengthy heatwave over much of the state, cold fronts of any vigour have generally been absent.

Less of this activity than might have been expected given the January heat. Credit:Max Mason-Hubers

The large high pressure system that typically sets our summer weather "has been a lot more stubborn" than usual, setting up over the Tasman and suppressing those fronts, Mohammed Nabi, a senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, said during the week.

While that set-up has helped heat intensify over inland regions - NSW smashed its January temperature records by a stunning two degrees - it has also meant windy periods that elevate fire dangers have been relatively few.