Heatwave reignites Australian bushfire crisis, over 30,000 asked to evacuate

Extreme weather reignited the bushfire crisis across Australia on Monday, with emergency warnings in four states as soaring temperatures and strong winds fanned infernos.

Wind gusts of above 100 km/h battered southeast Australia while temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius made firefighter’s task extremely difficult.

“Elevated fire danger is being driven by exceptional heat and strong, even damaging winds making their way from the interior of the country,” Bureau of Meteorology scientist Jonathan How explained.

Around 30,000 people in the Victoria State region of East Gippsland were told to evacuate as out of control fires threatened communities there.

Popular with hikers, campers and families, especially during the Christmas holiday period, the area in Gippsland Valley affected by bushfires is over 15,000 square km.

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A cool change predicted for Monday afternoon threatened to make the situation even worse, bringing gustier winds and the chance of thunderstorms.

“This will continue to create dangerous conditions for the fires beyond today, so with hazardous weather set to impact the southeast during this busy holiday period, it’s vital to keep yourself and loved ones safe,” How said.

Overnight a fire in eastern Victoria emitted a 14-km-high pyrocumulonimbus cloud which resulted in lightning strikes.

The possibility of “dry thunderstorms” was also worrying officials in the State of South Australia (SA), where lightning strikes had already started several fires.

The mix of heat, wind and thunderstorms created catastrophic conditions for SA firefighters, with fires ravaging the popular wildlife sanctuary of Kangaroo Island, as well as the hills west of State capital, Adelaide.