New South Wales, Australia — The specter of severe bushfires looms large over New South Wales, with scorching spring temperatures and high winds fueling over 60 blazes that already rage across the state, caution officials.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) reported that numerous cities along the eastern coast experienced unprecedented spring temperatures on Tuesday. The state capital, Sydney, is poised to mark its hottest September day on record, with BOM forecasting temperatures to soar to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday.
Senior BOM meteorologist Miriam Bradbury, in a video shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), emphasized the occurrence of "record September heat, dangerous fire weather conditions, and gusty winds" in New South Wales.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the state's Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) revealed that 65 fires were currently ablaze, with nearly one-third of them remaining uncontained. NSWRFS commissioner Rob Rogers sounded the alarm on Tuesday, comparing the risk to the devastating Black Summer fires of 2019 that claimed numerous lives and billions of animals, scorching over 10 million hectares.
In response, NSWRFS implemented a comprehensive fire ban on Tuesday, encompassing barbecues, campfires, and activities like welding, covering Sydney and its surrounding areas.
Simultaneously, bushfires continue to rage in Queensland, Tasmania, and parts of central Australia, near the popular tourist town of Tennant Creek. Authorities reported that, as of Monday, the Tennant Creek fire had consumed over a million hectares of Northern Territory land.
Last month, the Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC), the national council overseeing fire and emergency services in Australia and New Zealand, predicted an elevated risk of bushfires across Australia, particularly in the Northern Territory, Queensland, and New South Wales. This heightened risk is largely attributed to the impacts of climate change.
AFAC CEO Rob Webb stated, "The climate influences contributing to an increased risk of bushfires this season are widespread." He emphasized the importance of vigilance among Australians, regardless of their location, due to expectations of drier and warmer conditions this spring.
This alarming situation follows Australia's tenth driest August and what BOM's senior climatologist Zhi-Weng Chua described in a Facebook video as the "warmest winter on record."
Australia appears poised for exceptionally sweltering months ahead. On Tuesday, BOM declared the onset of an El Niño weather event, typically associated with warmer, drier springs and summers, and an elevated bushfire risk.
Karl Braganza, BOM's manager of climate monitoring, conveyed, "This summer will be hotter than average and certainly hotter than the last three years," as reported by CNN regional affiliate 9News.
BOM anticipates a gradual decrease in temperatures in NSW over the upcoming days, with the heatwave and fire danger threats projected to shift northward and westward by week's end.