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Heatwave hits Australia, officials warn of massive fires

2026-01-08 15:35:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Heatwave hits Australia, officials warn of massive fires

Parts of Australia will face massive bushfires in the coming days as heatwaves are expected to hit much of the country. Extreme heatwaves have been declared in every state and territory in Australia except Queensland, with high temperatures forecast for days.

On Thursday, firefighters battled several blazes in Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), with a large number of aircraft carrying water to extinguish a large fire near the town of Wodonga.

Melbourne experienced its hottest day in six years on Wednesday with a maximum of 40.9C (105.6F), while some coastal towns in Western Australia reached 49C.

In NSW, the heatwave is expected to peak on Saturday, with Sydney set to face a maximum of 42 degrees Celsius, while areas of South Australia and Western Australia will see temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days.

Wednesday was the first heatwave for Melbourne and Adelaide, home to millions of people, with bushfire conditions expected to worsen on Friday. In Victoria, authorities warned on Thursday that a catastrophic fire risk assessment means potential blazes could be unpredictable and uncontrollable.

Australia's fire risk assessment scale has four levels, with catastrophic being the highest, followed by extreme, high and moderate. A heatwave is declared when minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to be exceptionally high for three days or more. /CNA





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