🔥 Australia’s southeast is facing its worst fire season since the 2019–20 Black Summer. A scorching heat wave has fueled bushfires that have burned more than 300,000 hectares of land since mid-week.
In Victoria, 10 major blazes remain active. So far, 130 homes and structures have been destroyed, and about 38,000 properties are without power. Emergency-level warnings are in place near the Victoria–New South Wales border as temperatures spike into the mid-40s °C.
Thousands of firefighters are battling the flames, while dozens of communities have been evacuated and several state parks are closed. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared much of Victoria a disaster zone, calling the fire weather “extreme and dangerous” and sending sympathies to the affected regional residents.
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology has issued heat wave and fire weather alerts across wide areas, including New South Wales where Sydney reached 42.2 °C—about 17 °C above January’s average high. Forecasters expect a cooldown this weekend as a southerly change sweeps through.
🌏 For our South Asian and Southeast Asian crew, many of you may have friends or travel plans Down Under—keep them in the loop! And for everyone, these blazes are a vivid reminder of the growing impact of extreme weather. Stay safe and stay updated. 💨
Reference(s):
Australian bushfires destroy homes, disrupt power to tens of thousands
cgtn.com
