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Queensland bushfires: heatwave spreads south as dry storms and cyclone threaten state | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Queensland’s severe heatwave has spread south as the state’s bushfire crisis enters its second week and firefighters gear up for another day of volatile fire conditions. | |
More than 100 fires continued to burn across the state, with temperatures forecast to soar over 40Cs in many inland districts on Sunday. | |
Bushfires at Deepwater and Eungella in central Queensland, as well as at Carnarvon in the south-west and on North Stradbroke Island, near Brisbane, remained the most concerning. | |
The Bureau of Meteorology said increased wind conditions combined with the hot and dry conditions had pushed the fire rating back to severe. | |
“This exceptional heat and fire event just keeps continuing, the records are just too numerous to mention,” meteorologist Bruce Gunn said. | |
“There is still some days to go until we some relief ... there is no significant rain on the horizon especially in central Queensland before Tuesday.” | |
Forecast thunderstorms for Sunday would not produce rain but were expected to start more fires due to “dry lightning”, Gunn said. | |
It came as a tropical low off the state’s north-east coast with a chance of becoming a cyclone headed south-west towards Cairns, Gunn said. | |
The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service commissioner Katarina Carroll said “concerning” days lay ahead for Queensland. | |
“We’re not out of the woods ... it is a moving feast, the change of the winds present those challenges and the heatwave, and when you put all of this together it is a difficult concoction to deal with,” she said. | |
More than 400 interstate firefighters were battling the bushfires with the help of 20 aircraft. | |
The bushfire crisis saw its first loss of life on Friday night, with the death of a 21-year-old man at Rolleston, south of Emerald. He was using a chainsaw to cut down a tree for a firebreak when the tree fell on him. | The bushfire crisis saw its first loss of life on Friday night, with the death of a 21-year-old man at Rolleston, south of Emerald. He was using a chainsaw to cut down a tree for a firebreak when the tree fell on him. |
On Sunday, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, urged people in Queensland to look out for each other. | On Sunday, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, urged people in Queensland to look out for each other. |
Morrison had been monitoring the fires from the G20 meeting in Argentina ahead of his return to Australia on Monday morning. | |
“Despite the very sad loss of one young man, a 21-year-old man who died while clearing a fire break west of Rockhampton, so far I think the efforts have been extraordinary,” Morrison told reporters in Buenos Aires on Saturday local time. | “Despite the very sad loss of one young man, a 21-year-old man who died while clearing a fire break west of Rockhampton, so far I think the efforts have been extraordinary,” Morrison told reporters in Buenos Aires on Saturday local time. |
“People’s lives have been very significantly disrupted by the evacuations and other actions that have had to be taken. | “People’s lives have been very significantly disrupted by the evacuations and other actions that have had to be taken. |
“We’d ask for your patience, not just while the fires are burning, but for the many, many, many days ahead, as there will be the clean-up work and the restoration that will have to follow. | “We’d ask for your patience, not just while the fires are burning, but for the many, many, many days ahead, as there will be the clean-up work and the restoration that will have to follow. |
“We’re still expecting many more days of very difficult conditions in all of these areas,” Morrison said. | “We’re still expecting many more days of very difficult conditions in all of these areas,” Morrison said. |
“Just remember to look out for each other, particularly in these heatwave conditions that may not result in fire directly. There is a need to ensure we’re keeping an eye on each other.” | “Just remember to look out for each other, particularly in these heatwave conditions that may not result in fire directly. There is a need to ensure we’re keeping an eye on each other.” |
Bushfires | Bushfires |
Queensland | Queensland |
Wildfires | Wildfires |
Natural disasters and extreme weather | Natural disasters and extreme weather |
Australia weather | Australia weather |
Scott Morrison | Scott Morrison |
news | news |
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