Australia swelters through heat wave as firefighters battle bushfires

Caption 01: New South Wales Rural Fire Service fire truck is seen at a hazard reduction burn site in Sydney, Australia, Sept 10, 2023. REUTERS

Large parts of Australia on Saturday sweltered under heat wave conditions that prompted the nation's weather forecaster to issue bush fire warnings in several states.

In New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, more than 50 fires were burning on Saturday and a total fire ban was in place for many areas, including Sydney, the state's rural fire service said.

The agency said on social media platform X that more than 700 firefighters and incident management personnel were working statewide to fight blazes amid "widespread high and extreme fire danger".

Heat wave alerts and fire warnings were also in place for parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory, while in South Australia heat wave conditions were forecast but no fire warning was issued, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

The hot weather lifts the risk of bush fires in an already high-risk fire season amid an El Nino weather event, which is typically associated with extreme events such as wildfires, cyclones and droughts.

Meanwhile in Queensland, ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which tore through the state's northeast this week, was forecast to bring more heavy rain and possible flooding in areas near the tourist town of Cairns.

"More wet weather is on the cards," Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson Angus Hines said in an update.

Meanwhile in Queensland, ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which tore through the state's northeast this week, was forecast to bring more heavy rain and possible flooding in areas near the tourist town of Cairns.

"More wet weather is on the cards," Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson Angus Hines said in an update.