Still in the state of Victoria, firefighters had to ask the 30,000 or so tourists in the East Gippsland region to withdraw following the eruption of more than a dozen fires and the possibility of the only main road still open on the coast. region has to be cut.
“It’s very dangerous” to stay in these areas, explained Gippsland fire chief Ben Rankin, describing the situation as “very intense.”
Some of these fires have reached such intensity that they have even forced hundreds of firefighters from the front, which extends over a thousand kilometers.
In the westernmost state of southern Australia, “catastrophic” weather conditions are also reported, according to state fire chief Brenton Eden.
According to the official, the thunderstorms that are multiplying in the region have already started several fires, mainly on Kangaroo Island.
Australia is used to wildfires during the southern summer, but this year the situation was particularly early and violent.
Researchers explain the severity of the situation with a combination of factors including very low rainfall, record temperatures and high winds, but many believe global warming contributes greatly to these conditions.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison belatedly admitted a link between fires and climate change, but declined to reverse his policy in favor of the coal industry.
The absolute temperature record for December was broken last week, when thermometers reached 49.8 degrees in Eucla, Western Australia.
All cities have decided to cancel the fireworks shows they usually present on New Year’s Eve, except for Sydney, where, despite the cloud of toxic smoke covering the region and a petition with over 270,000 signatures to ask for. the cancellation, the authorities decided to keep the tradition.
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