Authorities say the risk of forest fires is high.
Fire bans have been issued in several parts of the Australian state of New South Wales, where authorities say the risk of wildfires has increased further on Sunday due to the heat wave that has hit the country.
In early spring, temperatures in some areas can rise by up to 12°C above the long-term average, and in the New South Wales capital, Sydney, it can reach 36°C – according to the Australian Meteorological Service.
At 2pm local time on Sunday at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport, the thermometer already showed 34.6 degrees Celsius, which, according to meteorological data, is more than 11 degrees higher than the average peak temperature in October.
The risk of bushfires in Australia this year is very high during the spring and summer season due to a recently declared El Niño-type weather phenomenon, which is typically associated with bushfires, cyclones and drought. The state fire authority ordered nine bonfires in some parts of the state on Sunday to reduce the possibility of wildfires.
There have been relatively few bushfires in Australia over the past two years compared to the so-called “Black Summer” of 2019/2020, when an area the size of Turkey burned across the country and 33 people lost their lives in the natural disaster.
