Australia bushfires: Sydney suburb hits 49C to become ‘hottest place on Earth’ as heat creates storms
The bushfires currently engulfing Australia are producing so much heat they are now generating their own storms.
Authorities have warned that wind conditions are causing of the biggest fires to merge with fire tornadoes and dry lightning igniting even more fires.
It has seen temperatures soar to new highs today, with Penrith, a suburb of Sydney, believed to be the hottest place on Earth on Saturday at 48.9C (120F).
It was the hottest day ever recorded in greater Sydney.
Temperatures in Sydney and Canberra have also peaked at 45C and 44C respectively so far.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service has updated emergency warnings, telling those who have not evacuated at-risk areas that it was not “too late to leave” and that they should “seek shelter as the fire approaches.”
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: “In recent times, particularly over the course of the balance of this week, we have seen this disaster escalate to an entirely new level.”
On Saturday evening, Victoria had 14 fires rated at emergency or evacuate warning levels, while New South Wales had 11, with more than 150 others burning across both states.
NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said: “There are a number of fires that are coming together – very strong, very large, intense fires that are creating some of these fire-generated thunderstorms.
“And unfortunately we’ve still got many hours to go of these elevated and dangerous conditions.”
The 80mph are fuelling the strength of the fires with many places facing their worst day yet.
“We are in for a long night and we are still to hit the worst of it,” New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian said. “It’s a very volatile situation.”
So far 23 people have died as a result of the fires, with at least six unaccounted for in the state of Victoria.
Australia’s government has called up 3,000 reserve troops and committed $20m AUS to hire four special fire-fighting aircraft.