Australia Braces for Heightened Bushfire Risk as Heatwave Sweeps Across Nation
Canberra, The Gulf Observer: Australia faced intensified heatwaves on Sunday, exacerbating the bushfire threat in an already high-risk fire season, driven by the prevailing El Niño weather pattern, according to the national weather forecaster.
“Extreme” heatwave alerts, the highest danger level, persisted for a second day in parts of Western Australia and expanded to South Australia. Additionally, “severe” warnings were issued for areas in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory, underscoring the widespread impact of the soaring temperatures.
The forecaster warned that the remote Pilbara and Gascoyne areas in Western Australia, the nation’s largest state geographically, could experience temperatures soaring into the high forties Celsius (up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday.
In the Pilbara mining town of Paraburdoo, a forecasted high of 48 C (118 F) was more than seven degrees above the average January maximum. At midday, the temperature was recorded at 45.7 C (114 F).
The challenging conditions were echoed by Alex McWhirter, manager of the Royal Mail Hotel in the West Australian town of Meekatharra, who described the heat as potentially “cooking you alive.”
On the east coast, parts of Sydney were anticipated to reach 40 C, nearly 10 degrees above the average January maximum. In the city’s west, temperatures soared to 37.9 C (100 F) at 3:30 p.m.
The heightened bushfire risk accompanied the hot and dry conditions, intensified by the El Niño, known for extreme phenomena like wildfires, cyclones, and droughts. The forecaster emphasized the need for vigilance as Australia contends with the potential escalation of bushfires.
Australia recalls the devastating “Black Summer” of 2019-2020 when bushfires ravaged an area equivalent to the size of Turkey, claiming 33 lives, and causing extensive ecological damage to both fauna and flora.
