Extreme heat waves threaten to trigger Australian fires again

An extreme heat wave swept across Australia on January 30 with a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius and increased the risk of wildfires .

The temperature hits 38 degrees C in western Sydney but Melbourne will be the hottest city when the temperature rises to 43 degrees Celsius on the afternoon of January 30 (local time). The energy market operator issued a secondary warning to Victoria amid concerns that residents turning on air conditioners would put pressure on electricity supplies.

The heat wave is expected to entail extreme humidity, storms and potential flash floods in Victoria on Sunday. Northern Victoria will be the hottest part of the state with temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius.

Australian weather map on 1/31.

Rising temperatures have increased fears about wildfires after a week of mild weather. A series of hot days is forecast to last, increasing the risk of fire.

A fire ban was imposed for all parts of Victoria except for Gippsland and the Northeast. Still 9 out of 10 active fires are burning more than 1.5 million hectares in Victoria.

Rescue official Andrew Crisp urged Victorians to be on their guard, as the season of wildfires is not over yet . "We have benefited from a number of conditions that have been suppressed and become benign in the past few days. But it will be very hot . Over the past two years, we have been through fires in March, so many property losses. So we still have another six to eight weeks of active fire. "

Meanwhile, the Australian Capital Territory Authority (ACT) on January 31 declared a state of emergency in the context of the area's wildfires expected to worsen over the next two days.

Australia's dangerous summer weather is mainly driven by temperature changes in the Indian Ocean , which is able to maintain hot and dry conditions until March.

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