SYDNEY: Australia’s southeast experienced a scorching heatwave on Sunday, increasing the threat of bushfires and leading authorities to implement fire bans across extensive areas of New South Wales state. The nation’s weather forecasters projected temperatures to soar up to 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above the average in some regions. Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, is expected to reach a sweltering 36C (96.8F).
By 10 a.m. (2300 GMT) at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport, the temperature had already reached 28C (82.4F), surpassing the September mean maximum temperature by more than five degrees, as reported by forecasters.
Australia faces an elevated risk of bushfires this season due to an El Nino weather phenomenon, recently confirmed. El Nino events are traditionally associated with extreme occurrences such as wildfires, cyclones, and droughts.
Jihad Dib, the State Emergency Services Minister, described the heat as “scorching” and emphasized the heightened bushfire risk in the upcoming week. He officially declared the commencement of a bushfire danger period, citing the combination of high temperatures, dry conditions, and strong winds as the “perfect storm.”
In an effort to minimize the potential for bushfires, fire authorities on Sunday issued nine total fire bans across various parts of the state.
Australia’s most recent two fire seasons were relatively quiet compared to the catastrophic “Black Summer” of 2019-2020. During that period, bushfires ravaged an area equivalent to the size of Turkey and claimed the lives of 33 people.
