Flurry of fires as wildfire season begins – Australia.
Firefighters were making the most of lighter winds and cooler temperatures on Tuesday, to contain three large fires which broke out across New South Wales. The fires developed on Monday, just as the official wildfire season got under way, blazing around Australia’s largest city, Sydney.
Officials warned that while recent rains may have led residents into a false sense of security, the drought which has hit Australia over the last few years has made conditions worse for wildfires. It is thought that the fires were stoked by hot and blustery conditions affecting the state, combined with forest areas left tinder-dry by what has been reported to be Australia’s worst drought.
New South Wales fire crews were also taking preventative measures on Tuesday, with further warm weather forecast for tomorrow and again on Saturday.
Temperatures on Wednesday are forecast to rise into the mid 30C’s (low 90F’s). Early spring temperatures are normally nearer to 20-21C (68-70F). The warm weather prompted the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to issue its first warning on Monday for extreme danger due to hot, dry and windy conditions.
Australia’s wildfire season normally runs until January and with drought conditions still prevalent across many states, an increase in activity is likely to be seen over the coming months.
