The fires in Australia

“Unstoppable fires” – Australians urged to flee

Massive bushfires are currently raging in Australia, where the worst heatwave in years is prevailing, writes The Guardian. Temperatures of over 45 degrees have been measured in the state of Victoria, which is particularly prone to fires.

Now the whole country is holding its breath ahead of Friday, when the fire risk is considered “catastrophic”, the highest the country has, in several places. This has not happened since the disaster year 2019/2020 and fires that start then can have fatal consequences.

– Those that cannot be slowed down immediately will become unstoppable, Victoria’s fire chief Chris Hardman told the ABC.

Victoria’s emergency commissioner has urged residents in the highest risk zones to leave their homes well in advance.

The fire is so intense it's creating its own weather system

The bushfires in the Australian state of Victoria are so large and intense right now that they have created their own weather system, reports the ABC. The heat is causing large air masses to rise, which causes a special type of thunderstorm with so-called Pyrocumulonimbus clouds.

The lightning from the fire-driven thunderstorm, together with dry ground, extreme heat and strong winds, are creating devastating conditions for fires on Friday.

- Prepare now by implementing your bushfire survival plan. If you are in an area with catastrophic risk, leave it well in advance, says Victoria's emergency commissioner Tim Wiebusch, according to the BBC.