Every Australian State At Or Above 40C; Victoria's Turn As Fires "Racing" To The Coast

[hatrack]

EDIT

Scorching temperatures, strong winds and thunderstorms created dangerous conditions in Victoria on Monday. In East Gippsland, three fires burning near the towns of Bruthen, Buchan and Bonang rapidly expanded as temperatures soared to the mid-40Cs.

Officials said the wind-driven blazes were "racing" towards the coast, and had moved faster than predicted. Residents in northern Melbourne were told to "act immediately to survive" as firefighters struggled to battle an out-of-control fire.

Officials said the fire in Bundoora, some 16km (10 miles) north of Melbourne city centre, was "threatening homes and lives". "The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave," Victoria Emergency said.

EDIT

He said the huge blazes had produced their own weather systems from smoke columns "punching into the atmosphere 14km high". "There's lightning coming out of these columns. It is unpredictable [and] it's dangerous out there," he said. Similar fire-generated thunderstorms - or pyrocumulonimbus - were also recorded in NSW.

EDIT

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50938504

[The_jackalope]

1. Utterly terrifying

Welcome to your new future.

[OnlinePoker]

2. Even with that, 1/4 of the country is at or below average

https://climatereanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#t2anom