Southeast Australia is currently experiencing a heatwave, which has raised concerns about the risk of bushfires. As a result, authorities in New South Wales state have issued fire bans for large areas. The country’s weather forecaster has predicted temperatures up to 12 degrees Celsius above average in some regions, with Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, expected to reach 36C.
By 10 a.m., the temperature at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport had already reached 28C, which is more than five degrees above the average maximum temperature for September. This heatwave is occurring as Australia faces an El Nino weather event, which is commonly associated with extreme weather conditions such as wildfires, cyclones, and droughts.
Jihad Dib, the State Emergency Services Minister, expressed concerns about the increased risk of bushfires due to the “scorching” heat. He emphasized that the combination of heat, dryness, and wind creates the ideal conditions for a fire outbreak. As a response, an official bushfire danger period has been declared.
In an effort to mitigate the chance of bushfires, fire authorities have issued nine total fire bans for specific areas in the state. The past two fire seasons in Australia have been relatively quiet compared to the devastating “Black Summer” of 2019-2020. During that period, bushfires destroyed an area equivalent to the size of Turkey and claimed the lives of 33 people.
Sam McKeith reporting from Sydney
Edited by Nick Zieminski
Credit: The Star : News Feed
