Australia on high alert as new heatwave threatens this weekend and next week
A member of the Australian Defence Force overlooking the bushfires in New South Wales on board a helicopter.
A new heat wave is expected to hit Australia over the weekend and into next week, raising fears that high temperatures and dry winds could further intensify deadly bushfires that are burning out of control.
In some parts of South Australia, authorities have raised a "severe" fire danger rating, which advised residents that evacuating early was "the safest option" for their survival.
Temperatures were forecast to peak at a maximum of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) in the state capital, Adelaide, on Saturday and Sunday, potentially rising to 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Monday, according to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
Over the weekend the heat will build over Victoria and New South Wales, gradually reaching all the way to the Sydney area by Monday," he said. "Temperatures and the fire threat will increase as we head through the weekend, with the worst conditions expected for the fire-plagued areas of eastern New South Wales on Monday and Tuesday.
Melbourne, capital of Victoria state, could hit 41 Celsius (105.8 Fahrenheit), on Monday, the BOM said on its website.
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For over two months, deadly bushfires have been burning out of control across Australia and engulfing whole towns, exacerbated by strong winds and rising temperatures.
By December 21, a total of nine people had died, with one missing, and nearly 800 homes had been destroyed by the fires. On December 19, two volunteer firefighters were killed while battling the blazes in New South Wales. It's believed their vehicle hit a tree before rolling off the road, said the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) in a statement last week.
Australia has experienced one of the worst droughts in decades and sweltered under a record-breaking heat wave last week, when the average maximum temperature across the country hit 41.9 degrees Celsius (107.4 Fahrenheit).
The NSWRFS said that although firefighters have now contained half of the 72 bush fires still burning across the state, a fresh heat wave could pose a renewed threat.
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"Our main focus at this stage is making sure we have strengthened the containment line, especially those to urban areas," said James Orris, a spokesman for the service.
He said some 1,500 firefighters have been deployed, and the priority was to control the fires to the northwest and southwest of Sydney, which it said were the most threatening for residents.
The fires have also threatened koalas living in the wild. In a photo on Facebook, firefighters in Hawkesbury, New South Wales were seen pulling two koalas to safety next to a highway.
In a statement, the State Emergency Service has also urged the public to remain vigilant and drink plenty of water to remain hydrated.
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