Large parts of Australia were hit by a severe heatwave on Saturday, prompting the country's meteorological agency to issue warnings about the outbreak of bushfires in several states. The Bureau of Meteorology reported on its website that "heatwave warnings have been issued for parts of Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory."
The hot weather increases the risk of bushfires during a period that is already severely hazardous due to the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, which is typically associated with extreme weather events such as bushfires, hurricanes, and droughts. With rising temperatures, warnings have been issued for potential fires in parts of Western Australia, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory, according to meteorological experts.
The New South Wales Fire Service, the most populous state in Australia, reported that more than 50 fires were burning on Saturday, and a total ban on lighting fires was implemented in many areas, including the capital, Sydney. Authorities warned of a highly dangerous bushfire season this summer in Australia following two relatively quiet seasons compared to the "Black Summer," which saw bushfires that engulfed an area the size of Turkey and resulted in 33 fatalities during the 2019/2020 season.
