Victoria, NSW Bracing For Next Round As Hot Weather And High Winds Return
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It comes as fire crews in New South Wales and Victoria are bracing for the return of severe fire conditions with hot and windy weather forecast across both states.
Just days after heavy rain and golf ball-sized hail lashed parts of the south-east of the country, Victoria again faces severe fire danger on Wednesday, while the Rural Fire Service has warned NSW could see fire activity increase on Thursday. Temperatures are expected to rise into the 30s across most of Victoria, and strong winds will elevate the potential for new blazes sparking in the west.
“A new [fire] start [on Wednesday] with 50km/h winds means we will struggle to put them out immediately,” CFA chief officer Steve Warrington said on Tuesday evening. “We believe that … we will struggle to extinguish a running grassfire.”
A total fire ban aimed at preventing the start of new fires has been issued on Wednesday for all central, north and west areas of the state, while firefighters will keep battling the flames in the fire-ravaged eastern areas.
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/22/nsw-and-victoria-fires-soaring-temperatures-increase-bushfire-danger-once-again