According to reports released by weather authorities, temperatures in Australia are set to reach 40C in Nowra on the South Coast, 41C in Cessnock in the Hunter region, 42C in Bulahdelah on the mid-north coast, and 43C in Penrith in western Sydney.
NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman Ben Shepherd stated that low humidity and northwesterly winds have firefighters getting ready for what seems to be a dangerous day on Thursday.
Mr. Shepherd said on Wednesday:
‘There is a broad area of severe and very high fire danger and areas of extreme fire danger.’
The warning came after rainfalls were experienced for days across the entire east coast of Australia.
Some areas in Queensland have reported flash floods last weekend while the Australian Capital Territory and NSW experienced downpour.
Residents and the authorities confirmed these showers were a huge help in putting out fires that were still a threat to human life, homes, and wildlife across the country.
Mr. Shepherd added:
‘All fire grounds have received some rainfall and that has greatly reduced some fire activity but we might still see some fire grounds pick up and move tomorrow,’
As the authorities prepare for Thursday, total fire bans are implemented in NSW in the greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, Illawarra/Shoalhaven, southern ranges, central ranges, and northwestern fire districts. Severe fire danger ratings are also set for these regions.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds for parts of NSW’s south and west on Wednesday while strong to gale force winds were forecast to continue until Thursday.
BOM also warned the public that Thursday’s damaging winds may extend to the southern tablelands and some areas of the central tablelands, the Illawarra and south coast.
The warning was issued after severe thunderstorms were experienced in Sydney, Newcastle, and Wollongong on Monday, leaving homes and businesses without electricity.
Almost 70 fires are continuously surging across the state on Wednesday night.
Sever fire danger was also issued in The ACT on Thursday, up from very high on Wednesday.
ACT Rural Fire Service chief officer Mark Brown said:
‘We’ve got a total fire ban in the ACT tomorrow as well as surrounding areas in New South Wales,’
‘A fire like this on a day like tomorrow will be even harder to control.’
On the other hand, statewide rainfall is predicted in Victoria on Thursday.
A cool change across the state on Wednesday should give relief after a week of golf ball-sized hail, flash flooding, and thunderstorms wreaked havoc.
Central and southern areas of the state are set to receive between 25mm and 40mm of rain, while fire-ravaged areas may only experience falls of up to 10mm.
[rumble video_id=vqm7q domain_id=u7nb2]