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| Five towns evacuated as Victoria bushfire nears but cyclone threat eases for Top End | |
| (44 minutes later) | |
| Five Victorian tourist towns, including Lorne, have been evacuated as an out-of-control bushfire threatens hundreds of homes on the Great Ocean Road. | |
| People in the holiday towns of Wye River, Separation Creek, Kennett River and Grey River were told evacuate at lunchtime on Christmas Day. | |
| The Country Fire Authority issued an evacuation notice for the town of Lorne, where the population of 1,000 swells during summer, on Friday evening. | |
| The ABC was reporting that the fire was just 7km from Lorne on Friday afternoon, and said at least one home had been lost in the Otway Ranges. | |
| The CFA advised residents to seek shelter in Torquay before 7pm local time, when it would be considered too late to leave Lorne. It said a wind change forecast for the evening was expected to push the fire towards Lorne and surrounding areas including Allendale, North Lorne and the Cumberland River area. | |
| A State Control Centre spokeswoman said spot fires were landing up to 2km away from the fire front, and even as far as the coast line. | A State Control Centre spokeswoman said spot fires were landing up to 2km away from the fire front, and even as far as the coast line. |
| Residents were told to head south along the Great Ocean Road – which was reopened to allow them to get out – to seek shelter at the Apollo Bay leisure centre. | |
| Jo Birley, from the Apollo Bay Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, said people in the Otway Ranges were braced for a bad summer. | Jo Birley, from the Apollo Bay Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, said people in the Otway Ranges were braced for a bad summer. |
| “The Otways haven’t had a serious fire for a long, long time,” Birley said. “The last few years, it’s sort of been that feeling of if and when it does happen, that it will be very serious.” | “The Otways haven’t had a serious fire for a long, long time,” Birley said. “The last few years, it’s sort of been that feeling of if and when it does happen, that it will be very serious.” |
| She said the community was getting ready to help those cut off from their homes. | She said the community was getting ready to help those cut off from their homes. |
| “There are a number of people gathering around the leisure centre... some people have offered to put their hand up and help,” she said. | “There are a number of people gathering around the leisure centre... some people have offered to put their hand up and help,” she said. |
| Luckily the influx came when Apollo Bay shops and businesses were preparing for one of the busiest days of the year. | Luckily the influx came when Apollo Bay shops and businesses were preparing for one of the busiest days of the year. |
| “At this stage we still have power, we still have supplies, we were prepared for a four-day long weekend,” Birley said. | “At this stage we still have power, we still have supplies, we were prepared for a four-day long weekend,” Birley said. |
| “So the businesses, the hospitality businesses, have stock and supply.” | “So the businesses, the hospitality businesses, have stock and supply.” |
| Temperatures hit 35C on Friday afternoon, while strong winds were making firefighting efforts difficult. | Temperatures hit 35C on Friday afternoon, while strong winds were making firefighting efforts difficult. |
| Kennett River and Grey River residents were told to evacuate before 2.30pm or stay put. | Kennett River and Grey River residents were told to evacuate before 2.30pm or stay put. |
| Related: Christmas comes with weather worries for South Australia, Victoria and NT | Related: Christmas comes with weather worries for South Australia, Victoria and NT |
| “The fire at Lorne and the fire at Wye River are both of significant concern to us,” Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, told reporters on Friday. “With extreme heat and high winds, with the change expected to come through in the early part of the evening. | “The fire at Lorne and the fire at Wye River are both of significant concern to us,” Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, told reporters on Friday. “With extreme heat and high winds, with the change expected to come through in the early part of the evening. |
| “Things are unstable, things are unsettling as well, there is a real sense of concern in those local communities.” | “Things are unstable, things are unsettling as well, there is a real sense of concern in those local communities.” |
| The state’s emergency management commissioner, Craig Lapsley, said the fire 3km north of Wye River was likely to burn all summer.“It’s a lightning strike that started just under a week ago, and it’s in exactly the wrong spot to have a fire,” he said. “It’s a fire we’ll have to work with during the summer.” | The state’s emergency management commissioner, Craig Lapsley, said the fire 3km north of Wye River was likely to burn all summer.“It’s a lightning strike that started just under a week ago, and it’s in exactly the wrong spot to have a fire,” he said. “It’s a fire we’ll have to work with during the summer.” |
| A fast-moving grass fire at Sunbury, on Melbourne’s northwestern outskirts, has also threatened homes. | A fast-moving grass fire at Sunbury, on Melbourne’s northwestern outskirts, has also threatened homes. |
| Claire Yeo, a senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, said relief in the form of a cold front would arrive in Victoria around sunset and a little earlier in South Australia, bringing some welcome rain. | Claire Yeo, a senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, said relief in the form of a cold front would arrive in Victoria around sunset and a little earlier in South Australia, bringing some welcome rain. |
| “Most of the rainfall in Victoria will be in the early hours of Saturday, moving into eastern Victoria and NSW during Boxing Day.” | “Most of the rainfall in Victoria will be in the early hours of Saturday, moving into eastern Victoria and NSW during Boxing Day.” |
| Related: Firefighters still battling bushfires that destroyed 16 homes in Victoria | Related: Firefighters still battling bushfires that destroyed 16 homes in Victoria |
| Yeo said there could be implications for the cricket Test, but the heaviest rainfall was likely to hit Melbourne before the match started. | Yeo said there could be implications for the cricket Test, but the heaviest rainfall was likely to hit Melbourne before the match started. |
| Temperatures around Melbourne have hit 35C, while strong winds are expected to change direction once a change moves across the state in the evening. | Temperatures around Melbourne have hit 35C, while strong winds are expected to change direction once a change moves across the state in the evening. |
| Total fire bans have been declared in regions across Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, with the mercury tipped to hit the high 30s or more in many areas. | Total fire bans have been declared in regions across Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, with the mercury tipped to hit the high 30s or more in many areas. |
| Varied weather is expected across Western Australia on Friday, with a near-perfect 27C in Perth, possible thunderstorms in the Kimberley region and scorching temperatures of 46C at Marble Bar in the state’s Pilbara region. | Varied weather is expected across Western Australia on Friday, with a near-perfect 27C in Perth, possible thunderstorms in the Kimberley region and scorching temperatures of 46C at Marble Bar in the state’s Pilbara region. |
| A Boxing Day cyclone is looking less likely to form off the Northern Territory, but the wild weather is “near enough” on Christmas Day. | A Boxing Day cyclone is looking less likely to form off the Northern Territory, but the wild weather is “near enough” on Christmas Day. |
| The Bureau of Meteorology says the low-pressure system, which had been forecast to move southeast and form into a cyclone over the Gulf of Carpentaria this weekend, has instead looped back to settle over the Top End. | The Bureau of Meteorology says the low-pressure system, which had been forecast to move southeast and form into a cyclone over the Gulf of Carpentaria this weekend, has instead looped back to settle over the Top End. |
| Forecaster Angeline Prasad said the storm had been unpredictable since the cyclone watch was issued for the southwest gulf on Thursday. | Forecaster Angeline Prasad said the storm had been unpredictable since the cyclone watch was issued for the southwest gulf on Thursday. |
| “It hasn’t behaved well in the last 24 hours,” she said. “The model guidance on this particular low-pressure system has been terrible, at the least.” | “It hasn’t behaved well in the last 24 hours,” she said. “The model guidance on this particular low-pressure system has been terrible, at the least.” |
| Prasad said the system would remain where it was or push east into the gulf on Saturday afternoon and form into a category one cyclone. | Prasad said the system would remain where it was or push east into the gulf on Saturday afternoon and form into a category one cyclone. |
| “It’s still a fairly warm, deep system,” she said, causing wild weather all over the Top End. | “It’s still a fairly warm, deep system,” she said, causing wild weather all over the Top End. |
| The eastern side was being particularly pummelled by severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfalls of up to 300mm in some areas, flash flooding, heavy surf and strong to gale-force winds with gusts of up to 90km/h. | The eastern side was being particularly pummelled by severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfalls of up to 300mm in some areas, flash flooding, heavy surf and strong to gale-force winds with gusts of up to 90km/h. |
| “Although we actually don’t actually have a cyclone it’s near enough,” Prasad said. | “Although we actually don’t actually have a cyclone it’s near enough,” Prasad said. |
| A cyclone watch issued for the coast from Port Roper to the Queensland border, including Groote Eylandt, was still current on Friday afternoon. | A cyclone watch issued for the coast from Port Roper to the Queensland border, including Groote Eylandt, was still current on Friday afternoon. |
| Hobart is on track to record its second hottest Christmas, with the 33C predicted just short of the record 34.6C set in 1945. | Hobart is on track to record its second hottest Christmas, with the 33C predicted just short of the record 34.6C set in 1945. |
| South Australia’s Country Fire Service state co-ordinator, Leigh Miller, said the state’s forecast conditions were the worst he could recall for Christmas Day in almost 30 years. | South Australia’s Country Fire Service state co-ordinator, Leigh Miller, said the state’s forecast conditions were the worst he could recall for Christmas Day in almost 30 years. |
| “We don’t need to have catastrophic conditions for bad fires to start,” he told reporters. | “We don’t need to have catastrophic conditions for bad fires to start,” he told reporters. |
| Related: Victorian firefighters try to control bushfires near Lorne and Wye River | Related: Victorian firefighters try to control bushfires near Lorne and Wye River |
| Slightly cooler conditions will grace NSW and Queensland, including showers in many coastal areas and temperatures in the mid to high 20s in the capital cities. | Slightly cooler conditions will grace NSW and Queensland, including showers in many coastal areas and temperatures in the mid to high 20s in the capital cities. |
| The 109 yachts tacking and jibing from Sydney to Hobart as part of the annual race can expect choppy seas outside Sydney head when they set off on Boxing Day. | The 109 yachts tacking and jibing from Sydney to Hobart as part of the annual race can expect choppy seas outside Sydney head when they set off on Boxing Day. |
| A southerly will reach up to 35 knots and rough conditions are expected as the fleet spends its first night at sea. | A southerly will reach up to 35 knots and rough conditions are expected as the fleet spends its first night at sea. |
| “It’s not a really strong one, but it does pack a fair bit of punch with it,” NSW Bureau of Meteorology’s Michael Loganhe said. | “It’s not a really strong one, but it does pack a fair bit of punch with it,” NSW Bureau of Meteorology’s Michael Loganhe said. |
| “It does fringe into the lower end of the gale warning category. It will make for rough conditions, it’s setting up for quite an eventful first night.” | “It does fringe into the lower end of the gale warning category. It will make for rough conditions, it’s setting up for quite an eventful first night.” |
| Australian Associated Press contributed to this report. | Australian Associated Press contributed to this report. |