Residents in the path of wildfires razing southeast Australia were urged to evacuate Thursday if they don’t intend to defend their homes as hot and windy conditions are forecast to escalate the danger over the next two days.
Australia has authorised the forced evacuation of residents amid a
mass exodus of tourists from fire-ravaged coastal communities, as the
country braces for a weekend heatwave expected to fan deadly bushfires.
Australia's west is set to swelter through a record-breaking heatwave over the next five days as temperatures are not expected to fall below 39 degrees Celsius, sparking fears of more destructive bushfires.
Bushfires engulfing Australian Tasmania could have detrimental long-term effects on the state's unique world heritage forests, according to conservationists.
The Australian city of Melbourne is bracing for its hottest December day in five years, with the mercury tipped to climb as high as 40 degrees Celsius at the weekend, heightening fears of a more damaging bushfires.