Large parts of Australia experienced a heatwave on Sunday, prompting authorities to warn of increased wildfire risks in many areas of the expansive state of Western Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology issued heatwave warnings for Western Australia, the neighboring Northern Territory, and Queensland in the east, cautioning that temperatures in some areas could reach around 45 degrees Celsius.
In Perth, the capital of Western Australia and the largest state in the country, the maximum temperature is expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius on Sunday, over five degrees above the average, according to meteorological data.
Eastern Australia has seen wildfires this month due to the El Niño phenomenon, a climatic pattern caused by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Pacific, leading to heatwaves, storms, droughts, and wildfires.
The Western Australia Emergency Services Agency reported on its website that there are over 20 active wildfires on Sunday, including an uncontrolled fire near Pemberton, a town with a population of about 5,000 located approximately 320 kilometers south of Perth. A spokesperson for the Fire and Emergency Services Administration stated that the agency anticipates weather conditions suitable for even more challenging fires beginning Sunday afternoon, as a hot and dry spell accompanied by winds impacted much of the state, including the capital Perth.
The agency also warned of increased wildfire risks in various areas of Western Australia, noting that over a thousand firefighters have been engaged in wildfire management statewide over the past five days.
Meanwhile, a large part of Australia's east coast has experienced heavy rainfall, and the Bureau of Meteorology issued warnings about floods and severe thunderstorms late Sunday in parts of New South Wales, the most populous state in the country, with Sydney as its capital.
