Bushfires rage in Australia’s southeast, authorities warn of ‘catastrophic’ conditions

Uncontrolled fires burned through bushland in the Australianstate of Victoria on Thursday, forcing communities to evacuate and authorities to warn of a “catastrophic” fire danger rating for Friday.

Amid temperatures that exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the state, two large bushfires were raging near the towns of Longwood and Walwa.

The fires have destroyed at least two structures and are expected to continue to spread on Friday as heat and wind pick up, authorities said.

The Longwood fire has grown to more than 25,000 hectares (61,776 acres) in size, while the Walwa fire is 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) and has created its own weather system, with a pyrocumulonimbus cloud causing lightning and thunder. Residents in dozens of neighbouring towns have been told to evacuate.

Friday’s fire danger rating will be set at “catastrophic”, the highest level, and both fires pose a real risk of loss of life and property, authorities said.

“Tomorrow is a very, very dire bushfire day in the state of Victoria,” Country Fire Authority Chief Officer Jason Heffernan told a newsconference.

The bushfires come amid an intense summer heatwave in Australia’s south. Meteorologists have said conditions are on par with 2019, when bushfires destroyed wide swathes of southeastern Australia, killing 33 people, in what became known as the Black Summer.

Some 450 schools in Victoria are set to close on Friday and many regional train services will be cancelled.

For Thursday, total fire bans have been issued in several districts. A total fire ban will be imposed across the whole state on Friday.

In New Zealand, the country’s weather provider, MetService, also warned of record warm temperatures over the weekend as the heatwave moves across the Tasman Sea.

It has issued heat alerts for parts of the eastern coast of New Zealand and the north of the South Island.