Australia’s largest city was enveloped by smog and poor air qualityon Thursday, as high temperatures and strong winds kept bushfires raging in the north of the country. Sydney’s iconic skyline was blurred and barely visible, due to the smog.
More than 110 fires are still burning in the worst-hit part of the country, the state of New South Wales.
Warnings issued
- Authorities advised residents with respiratory problems or heart conditions to stay indoors and seek medical advice, if needed.
- Health officials also told schools to keep children inside.
- Air pollution levels in Sydney were nearly 10 times higher than the national standard.
- Weather experts said the smoke was unlikely to clear for several days, as bushfires continue to burn.
What caused the fires?
Fires are common in Australia’s summer, but this year has been particularly unusual. A combination of factors such as drought, unseasonably hot, dry and windy conditions, have fuelled the bushfires for weeks. The state Queensland has also been affected, while new fires are now developing in South Australia. Even Tasmania, the southernmost point of the country, is now under a severe fire alert.
Read more: Australia’s koalas threatened by deforestation and bushfires
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Australia’s catastrophic bushfires — in pictures
Wildfire meets wildlife
A kangaroo stands in a charred forest. Some national parks have been threatened by the bushfires sweeping through eastern Australia. Wildlife authorities report that over 350 koalas burned to death in recent weeks as key habitat went up in flames.
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Australia’s catastrophic bushfires — in pictures
Tough day at work
Around 3,000 firefighters have been deployed to fight the blaze, with 13 workers injured so far. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services warned that “conditions are now very dangerous and firefighters may soon be unable to prevent the fire advancing. The fire may pose a threat to all lives directly in its path.”
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Australia’s catastrophic bushfires — in pictures
Deadly drought
A helicopter drops fire retardant on forest flames. Australia is suffering through drought that has brought high temperatures and dry winds. If rain doesn’t come soon, authorities warn the fires could burn for weeks to come. Three people have died and over 120 civilians have been injured.
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Australia’s catastrophic bushfires — in pictures
Hotter and faster than ever before
Bushfires turn the sky orange in Port Macquarie. 150 fires were burning in New South Wales and Queensland on Wednesday. It is “uncharted territory” for fire authorities, who have never battled this many fires simultaneously.
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Australia’s catastrophic bushfires — in pictures
‘Catastrophic fire danger’
A ferry navigates smoke-filled Sydney. Authorities issued a “catastrophic fire danger” alert for Australia’s most populous city and the surrounding area.
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Australia’s catastrophic bushfires — in pictures
Unprecedented damage
A kookaburra perches on a branch in a fire-ravaged forest. The blazes have destroyed over 11,000 square kilometers (6,800 square miles) of Australian woodlands.
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Addressing climate change
Speaking of the unprecedented fire season this year, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison denied that his climate policies were to blame and insisted his government was doing enough to tackle global warming.
“To suggest that with just 1.3% of global emissions that Australia doing something differently — more or less — would have changed the fire outcome this season, I don’t think that stands up to any credible scientific evidence at all,” Morrison told ABC radio.
The Australian prime minister had faced calls to cut greenhouse gas emissions and to rapidly transition to renewable energy. But the debate is a sensitive one, due to the lucrative nature of the mining sector in Australia.
jcg/rt (Reuters, AP)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/australia-smoke-engulfs-sydney-as-bushfires-spread-south/a-51342658?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf