Large areas of Australia were affected by a heat wave on Sunday, while authorities warned of the high risk of forest fires in many areas of the vast state of Western Australia.
The national weather center issued heatwave alerts for the western state, the neighboring Northern Territory and the eastern state of Queensland, warning that temperatures in some regions could hover around 45 degrees Celsius.
In Perth, the capital of Western Australia, the country’s largest state, a high temperature of 35 degrees was forecast for Sunday, more than five degrees above the December average, according to data from forecasters.
Eastern Australia has scorched this month due to El Niño, a weather pattern in which unusually warm temperatures in the Pacific Ocean trigger heat waves, cyclones, droughts and bushfires.
More than 20 bushfires were burning in Western Australia on Sunday, the state emergency services agency reported on its website, including an uncontrolled one near Pemberton, a town of about 5,000 inhabitants located about 320 kilometers south of Perth.
A Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said in a statement that the agency expected “a more difficult climate for fires” from Sunday afternoon as hot, dry and windy conditions affect much of the state, including Perth.
The agency warned of a high fire risk in many areas of Western Australia and said more than 1,000 firefighters had been battling the flames for the past five days.
“The weather conditions in the coming days will put pressure on containment lines and could increase fire activity,” the spokesperson said.
Source: Gestion
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