Residents rejoiced in parts of Australia's east coast due to heavy rains on Thursday, bringing relief to drought-hit areas.

Australians rejoice as showers of rain on bushfire-ravaged east coast bring relief

<p>The year's first Grand Slam started with a sheet of haze and smoke that covered Melbourne due to the&nbsp;Australian bushfires.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-federer-and-williams-lead-way-to-raise-funds-for-relief-workers-in-australia-273899">Tennis: Federer, Williams lead way to raise funds for workers in Australia bushfires</a></p>

<p>Australia Open qualifying matches were delayed due to Hazardous Air conditions. But Craig Tiley (director of the Tournament) has defended the decision to proceed with the qualifiers.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> practice was temporarily suspended this morning due to poor air quality.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Qualifying matches will begin at 11am.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Conditions onsite are improving and we are monitoring them constantly.</p>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1216851169508646913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>A player collapsed in a coughing fit and retired from the Australian Open qualifying on Tuesday as&nbsp;organizers faced criticism over the&nbsp;matches going ahead despite Melbourne's air quality to "hazardous" levels due to the bushfires.</p>

<p><strong>In pics:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/celebrities-crickets-raise-money-to-help-rescue-australia-bushfire-victims-273990">Global icons raise money to help rescue Australia bushfire victims</a></p>

<p>Slovenia's Dalila Jakupovic was leading against Swiss player Stefanie Vogele (6-4 5-6) at Melbourne Park Arena, Melbourne when she collapsed on her knees on the blue hardcourt.&nbsp;She was seen fighting for breath.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Saying everybody to stay inside and keep the schedule !? Very Well done!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hopesheisfine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hopesheisfine</a>... <a href="https://t.co/hzDFB8DYgZ">pic.twitter.com/hzDFB8DYgZ</a></p>
— steve darcis (@stevedarcishark) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevedarcishark/status/1216929271886860288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The raging Australian bushfires have claimed 28 lives and destroyed nearly 11.2 million hectares of land.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Victoria state's environment watchdogs have also flashed pollution warnings and have asked the citizens to stay indoors.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bushfire smoke has affected several sports involving soccer, rugby league&nbsp;and cricket with&nbsp;pollution leading to&nbsp;safety fears at the Australian Open.</p>

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<p>Authorities expect the smoke to stay until Wednesday when showers in the afternoon are forecast.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../atp-novak-djokovic-concerned-about-smoke-at- australian-open-as-bushfires-continue-to-blaze-272187">Novak Djokovic</a> expressed concern earlier this month that bushfire smoke might cause health problems for players. Maria Sharapova and&nbsp;Laura Siegemund's matchup was abandoned due to smoke. Maria Sharapova called off the match as she was unable to bear the heat and the smoke.</p>

<p>Tournament organizers last week said that play will be confined to indoor stadiums if the air quality deteriorates.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Why do we need to wait for something bad to happen to do an action 🤷🏼‍♀️🥵 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Melbourne?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Melbourne</a> <a href="https://t.co/bYpXyQAfKe">pic.twitter.com/bYpXyQAfKe</a></p>
— Elina Svitolina (@ElinaSvitolina) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElinaSvitolina/status/1216944323004190720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>A professional tennis Mandy Minella who hails from Luxembourg is competing for the qualifiers took to Twitter to express her concerns to the authorities.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shocked to see that qualifying matches have started <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AustralianOpen</a><br />
What about the health of all the people that have to work out there, especially the ballkids? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wherearethelimits?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wherearethelimits</a>? <a href="https://t.co/2oldEptT2g">pic.twitter.com/2oldEptT2g</a></p>
— mandy minella (@mandyminella) <a href="https://twitter.com/mandyminella/status/1216879106349924354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Australian Open is scheduled to be played between January 20 to February 2.&nbsp;</p>


The year's first Grand Slam started with a sheet of haze and smoke that covered Melbourne due to the Australian bushfires. Also read: Tennis: Federer, Williams lead way to raise funds for workers in Australia bushfires Australia Open qualifying matches were delayed due to Hazardous Air conditions.

The year's first Grand Slam started with a sheet of haze and smoke that covered Melbourne due to the Australian bushfires. Also read: Tennis: Federer, Williams lead way to raise funds for workers in Australia bushfires Australia Open qualifying matches were delayed due to Hazardous Air conditions. But Craig Tiley (director of the Tournament) has defended the decision to proceed with the qualifiers. #AusOpen practice was temporarily suspended this morning due to poor air quality. Qualifying matches will begin at 11am. Conditions onsite are improving and we are monitoring them constantly. — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2020 × A player collapsed in a coughing fit and retired from the Australian Open qualifying on Tuesday as organizers faced criticism over the matches going ahead despite Melbourne's air quality to "hazardous" levels due to the bushfires. In pics: Global icons raise money to help rescue Australia bushfire victims Slovenia's Dalila Jakupovic was leading against Swiss player Stefanie Vogele (6-4 5-6) at Melbourne Park Arena, Melbourne when she collapsed on her knees on the blue hardcourt. She was seen fighting for breath. Saying everybody to stay inside and keep the schedule !? Very Well done!!! #hopesheisfine... pic.twitter.com/hzDFB8DYgZ — steve darcis (@stevedarcishark) January 14, 2020 × The raging Australian bushfires have claimed 28 lives and destroyed nearly 11.2 million hectares of land. × Victoria state's environment watchdogs have also flashed pollution warnings and have asked the citizens to stay indoors. Bushfire smoke has affected several sports involving soccer, rugby league and cricket with pollution leading to safety fears at the Australian Open. × Authorities expect the smoke to stay until Wednesday when showers in the afternoon are forecast. Novak Djokovic expressed concern earlier this month that bushfire smoke might cause health problems for players. Maria Sharapova and Laura Siegemund's matchup was abandoned due to smoke. Maria Sharapova called off the match as she was unable to bear the heat and the smoke. Tournament organizers last week said that play will be confined to indoor stadiums if the air quality deteriorates. Why do we need to wait for something bad to happen to do an action 🤷🏼‍♀️🥵 #Melbourne pic.twitter.com/bYpXyQAfKe — Elina Svitolina (@ElinaSvitolina) January 14, 2020 × A professional tennis Mandy Minella who hails from Luxembourg is competing for the qualifiers took to Twitter to express her concerns to the authorities. Shocked to see that qualifying matches have started @AustralianOpen What about the health of all the people that have to work out there, especially the ballkids? #wherearethelimits? pic.twitter.com/2oldEptT2g — mandy minella (@mandyminella) January 14, 2020 × The Australian Open is scheduled to be played between January 20 to February 2.

Australian Open: Hazardous air condition delays matches, restarts amid haze

<p>The smoke from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/residents-of-small-australian-communities-told-to-evacuate-as-fire-approaches-270749">Australian bushfires</a> will take a 'full circuit' and return to the nation from the west, NASA said on its website.</p>

<p>The smoke has spread into the lower stratosphere and has reached 17.7 kilometres above sea level.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nasa said that ''once it has entered the stratosphere, it can affect the atmospheric conditions globally by travelling around thousand of miles''.</p>

<p><img alt="Bushfire" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ce5ec23a-6c3d-4397-8402-e04cb3e9b83d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29_31.jpg" /></p>

<p>It was pushed across the Pacific from the eastern coast of Australia where the fire had been blazing for the past three months.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A fleet of NASA satellites 🛰️ working together has been analyzing the aerosols and smoke from the massive fires burning in Australia.<a href="https://t.co/93geNvCBnU">https://t.co/93geNvCBnU</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZedZ199lvJ">pic.twitter.com/ZedZ199lvJ</a></p>
— NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAGoddard/status/1215370818156466190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The adverse impact is not merely subjected to its nearby surroundings.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Not only has it visibly darkened the mountaintop snow but it has damaged the air quality in New Zealand.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;''The smoke that plummeted from the bushfire had crossed South America, turning its skies hazy It had already moved halfway across the Earth by January 8'', NASA said.</p>

<p><img alt="Bushfire" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="70794b3e-7c3e-4c65-810a-bbdb1763fe21" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design_41.jpg" /></p>

<p>&nbsp;"Unusually large" number of pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) events which are fire-generated thunderstorms were produced by the massive bushfire.</p>

<p>&nbsp;A group of NASA satellites working together has been analyzing the aerosols and smoke from the massive fires burning in Australia.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="NASA published pictures of the damade made by Australain bushfires" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="558b3e67-890e-4bf8-86b8-8c98bea1d5c2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2839%29_0.jpg" /></p>

<p>&nbsp;Colin Seftor, a research scientist at Goddard said, “the higher the smoke plume, the larger the aerosol index value. Values over 10 are often associated with such events. The aerosol index values produced by some of the Australian pyroCb events have rivalled that largest values ever recorded.”</p>

<p><a href="http://13.235.153.162/photos/satellite-images-reveal-the-extent-of-australian-bushfire-damage-272645#cost-going-upto-$48559-million-272634"><strong>Also see:&nbsp;Satellite images reveal the extent of Australian bushfire damage</strong></a></p>

<p>The ash and smoke that had risen from the bushfire triggered these thunderstorms which provide a pathway for the smoke to travel more than 10 miles&nbsp;up into the stratosphere.</p>

<p>&nbsp;It was due to this reason that it succeeded in travelling ''halfway around the Earth'' and will eventually return to the nation itself.</p>


The smoke from the Australian bushfires will take a 'full circuit' and return to the nation from the west, NASA said on its website. The smoke has spread into the lower stratosphere and has reached 17.

The smoke from the Australian bushfires will take a 'full circuit' and return to the nation from the west, NASA said on its website. The smoke has spread into the lower stratosphere and has reached 17.7 kilometres above sea level. Nasa said that ''once it has entered the stratosphere, it can affect the atmospheric conditions globally by travelling around thousand of miles''. It was pushed across the Pacific from the eastern coast of Australia where the fire had been blazing for the past three months. A fleet of NASA satellites 🛰️ working together has been analyzing the aerosols and smoke from the massive fires burning in Australia.https://t.co/93geNvCBnU pic.twitter.com/ZedZ199lvJ — NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) January 9, 2020 × The adverse impact is not merely subjected to its nearby surroundings. Not only has it visibly darkened the mountaintop snow but it has damaged the air quality in New Zealand. × ''The smoke that plummeted from the bushfire had crossed South America, turning its skies hazy It had already moved halfway across the Earth by January 8'', NASA said. "Unusually large" number of pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) events which are fire-generated thunderstorms were produced by the massive bushfire. A group of NASA satellites working together has been analyzing the aerosols and smoke from the massive fires burning in Australia. Colin Seftor, a research scientist at Goddard said, “the higher the smoke plume, the larger the aerosol index value. Values over 10 are often associated with such events. The aerosol index values produced by some of the Australian pyroCb events have rivalled that largest values ever recorded.” Also see: Satellite images reveal the extent of Australian bushfire damage The ash and smoke that had risen from the bushfire triggered these thunderstorms which provide a pathway for the smoke to travel more than 10 miles up into the stratosphere. It was due to this reason that it succeeded in travelling ''halfway around the Earth'' and will eventually return to the nation itself.

Australian bushfire smoke will take a 'full circuit' and return to the nation: NASA

<p>The whole tennis world is coming together to help the relief workers in Australia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After Serena Williams, incredible gesture towards Australian Bushfire after winning the Auckland Open, where she donated the entire winning amount (US$43,000) to the relief efforts seems to have struck a chord.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wta-auckland-open-williams-breaks-three-year-title-drought-to-win-273787">WTA Auckland Open: Williams breaks three-year title drought to win</a></p>

<p>She will also auction the clothes that she wore throughout the competition with her autograph on it.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bushfire-cricket-bash-ricky-ponting-and-shane-warne-to-come-out-of-retirement-to-raise-funds-273874">Bushfire Cricket Bash: Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne to come out of retirement to raise funds</a></p>

<p>World number 3, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../federer-and-zverev-mexico-city-match-breaks- world-attendance-record-264207">Roger Federer</a>, said he would donate to the Australia bushfires appeal on Monday after tennis players pledged hundreds of thousands of dollars to the disaster relief fund.</p>

<p>The Swiss great, who has been criticized by environmental activists including Greta Thunberg over a sponsor's links to fossil fuel investments, said he would donate at a charity match on Wednesday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Since 2016 <a href="https://twitter.com/CreditSuisse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CreditSuisse</a> has provided $57 BILLION&nbsp;to companies looking for new fossil fuel deposits - something that is utterly incompatible with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClimateAction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClimateAction</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RogerFederer</a> do you endorse this? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RogerWakeUpNow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RogerWakeUpNow</a> <a href="https://t.co/ED1fIvb4Cr">pic.twitter.com/ED1fIvb4Cr</a></p>
— 350.org Europe (@350Europe) <a href="https://twitter.com/350Europe/status/1214843923329363970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>"If anyone can chip in, that's great because it's nice to show solidarity and help in a situation, which has become quite incredible in this country," Federer, 38, said at a publicity event in Melbourne.</p>

<p>"We need to look for prevention in the future, that this doesn't happen to this extent again because there will always be fires as I understand. This country is much, much too big," added the world number three.</p>

<p>Federer, Serena Williams, and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../nadals-spain-to-meet-djokovics-serbia-in-atp- cup-final-273650">Rafael Nadal</a> will headline Wednesday's exhibition at Melbourne Park, which will the Australian Open Grand Slam from January 20.</p>

<p>Tennis players have been quick to respond to the bushfire crisis, which has left at least 27 people dead, burned an area the size of South Korea and prompted a surge in concern over global warming.</p>

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<p>Players on the men's tour have donated US$725,000, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) said on Sunday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you to the <a href="https://twitter.com/atptour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@atptour</a> players for their positive impact ❤️<br />
<br />
A $725,000 donation was made to <a href="https://twitter.com/WWF_Australia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WWF_Australia</a> and Nature Recovery Fund as part of the bushfire relief efforts. <a href="https://t.co/ORfRDydzQM">pic.twitter.com/ORfRDydzQM</a></p>
— ATPCup (@ATPCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATPCup/status/1216449771692363777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>"I'll also be making a donation personally myself on Wednesday," said Federer, a six-time winner of the Australian Open.</p>

<p>"This country has given me everything and more in the past so it's only but normal for me to help us well."</p>

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<p>Over the weekend, Federer promised to talk to his sponsors after environmentalists criticised his relationship with Credit Suisse, which they say has loaned billions of dollars to the fossil fuels industry.</p>

<p>Federer said he was "grateful to young climate activists for pushing us all to examine our behaviours" after the criticism was retweeted by Swedish teenager Thunberg, a prominent eco-warrior.</p>

<p>"I appreciate reminders of my responsibility as a private individual, as an athlete, and as an entrepreneur, and I'm committed to using this privileged position to dialogue on important issues with my sponsors," he said in a statement that was widely quoted by media.</p>

<p>(with inputs from AFP)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The whole tennis world is coming together to help the relief workers in Australia. After Serena Williams, incredible gesture towards Australian Bushfire after winning the Auckland Open, where she donated the entire winning amount (US$43,000) to the relief efforts seems to have struck a chord.

The whole tennis world is coming together to help the relief workers in Australia. After Serena Williams, incredible gesture towards Australian Bushfire after winning the Auckland Open, where she donated the entire winning amount (US$43,000) to the relief efforts seems to have struck a chord. Also read: WTA Auckland Open: Williams breaks three-year title drought to win She will also auction the clothes that she wore throughout the competition with her autograph on it. Also read: Bushfire Cricket Bash: Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne to come out of retirement to raise funds World number 3, Roger Federer, said he would donate to the Australia bushfires appeal on Monday after tennis players pledged hundreds of thousands of dollars to the disaster relief fund. The Swiss great, who has been criticized by environmental activists including Greta Thunberg over a sponsor's links to fossil fuel investments, said he would donate at a charity match on Wednesday. Since 2016 @CreditSuisse has provided $57 BILLION to companies looking for new fossil fuel deposits - something that is utterly incompatible with #ClimateAction @RogerFederer do you endorse this? #RogerWakeUpNow pic.twitter.com/ED1fIvb4Cr — 350.org Europe (@350Europe) January 8, 2020 × "If anyone can chip in, that's great because it's nice to show solidarity and help in a situation, which has become quite incredible in this country," Federer, 38, said at a publicity event in Melbourne. "We need to look for prevention in the future, that this doesn't happen to this extent again because there will always be fires as I understand. This country is much, much too big," added the world number three. Federer, Serena Williams, and Rafael Nadal will headline Wednesday's exhibition at Melbourne Park, which will the Australian Open Grand Slam from January 20. Tennis players have been quick to respond to the bushfire crisis, which has left at least 27 people dead, burned an area the size of South Korea and prompted a surge in concern over global warming. × Players on the men's tour have donated US$725,000, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) said on Sunday. Thank you to the @atptour players for their positive impact ❤️ A $725,000 donation was made to @WWF_Australia and Nature Recovery Fund as part of the bushfire relief efforts. pic.twitter.com/ORfRDydzQM — ATPCup (@ATPCup) January 12, 2020 × "I'll also be making a donation personally myself on Wednesday," said Federer, a six-time winner of the Australian Open. "This country has given me everything and more in the past so it's only but normal for me to help us well." × Over the weekend, Federer promised to talk to his sponsors after environmentalists criticised his relationship with Credit Suisse, which they say has loaned billions of dollars to the fossil fuels industry. Federer said he was "grateful to young climate activists for pushing us all to examine our behaviours" after the criticism was retweeted by Swedish teenager Thunberg, a prominent eco-warrior. "I appreciate reminders of my responsibility as a private individual, as an athlete, and as an entrepreneur, and I'm committed to using this privileged position to dialogue on important issues with my sponsors," he said in a statement that was widely quoted by media. (with inputs from AFP)

Tennis: Federer, Williams lead way to raise funds for workers in Australia bushfires

<p>Australia is going through one of it's worst bushfires in decades, the human death toll reached to 24 now, and it is said that a staggering number of 500 million animals have died due to these fires. Nearly 2000 houses have been destroyed.</p>

<p>As the damage assessment begins, donations have poured in from across the globe.</p>

<p><strong>Also see:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/fierce-wildfires-fuelled-by-searing-temperatures-new-blazes-and-high-winds-in-australia-271558">Fierce wildfires fuelled by searing temperatures, high winds in Australia continue to rage</a></p>

<p>Australian cricketing legends Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne have decided to temporarily come out of retirement and play a fund-raiser T20 match called the 'Bushfire Cricket Bash'.<br />
<br />
The star-studded match is going to be played as a curtain-raiser to the Big Bash League's finals which will be held on February 8. Looking at the points table where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../melbourne-stars-marcus-stoinis-becomes- highest-run-getter-in-big-bash-league-after-smashing-147-runs-against-sixe...">Melbourne Stars</a> and Sydney Sixers are trying to book the top spot, predictions are that the final could be played in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-bushfire-shane-warnes-baggy-green-cap-sold-for-over-a1-million-273347">Australian bushfire: Shane Warne's baggy green cap sold for over A$1 million; beats Dhoni, Bradman</a></p>

<p>Shane Warne's baggy green cap broke records, he took to twitter to thank his bidder.</p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thankyou so much to everyone that placed a bid &amp; a huge Thankyou / congrats to the successful bidder - you have blown me away with your generosity and this was way beyond my expectations ! The money will go direct to the Red Cross bushfire appeal. Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/vyVcA7NfGs">pic.twitter.com/vyVcA7NfGs</a></p>
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneWarne/status/1215413839614763008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;These big grounds are likely to attract a massive crowd. The two teams will be led by Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne. The venue will be confirmed on January 31 after the confirmation of the Top Two finalists.<br />
<br />
It is not the first time Cricket Australia has worked for a cause, in a Boxing Day tsunami charity match in January 2005 that attracted a crowd of 70,101 to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, they&nbsp;raised A$14.5 million.<br />
<br />
The unpredictable fire rage has burnt more than 5.25 million hectares (13 million acres) of land and continues to spread despite volunteer firefighters stepping in.&nbsp;Australia's economy has faced a major setback.</p>

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<p><br />
'The Bushfire Cricket Bash' is going to feature players like Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shane Watson, Alex Blackwell, and Micheal Clarke. Steve Waugh and Mel Jones will be involved but in a non-playing capacity.<br />
<br />
Alex Blackwell had&nbsp;just retired months ago from the Women's Big Bash League.<br />
<br />
Australia’s women’s team will begin the day with a T20I clash against India at the Junction Oval, this contest will be followed by the Bushfire Cricket Bash, and then Big Bash League finals will be played.<br />
<br />
“It is going to be a huge and special day. It’s nice to be part of it,” Ponting told reporters on Sunday.</p>


Australia is going through one of it's worst bushfires in decades, the human death toll reached to 24 now, and it is said that a staggering number of 500 million animals have died due to these fires.

Australia is going through one of it's worst bushfires in decades, the human death toll reached to 24 now, and it is said that a staggering number of 500 million animals have died due to these fires. Nearly 2000 houses have been destroyed. As the damage assessment begins, donations have poured in from across the globe. Also see: Fierce wildfires fuelled by searing temperatures, high winds in Australia continue to rage Australian cricketing legends Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne have decided to temporarily come out of retirement and play a fund-raiser T20 match called the 'Bushfire Cricket Bash'. The star-studded match is going to be played as a curtain-raiser to the Big Bash League's finals which will be held on February 8. Looking at the points table where Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers are trying to book the top spot, predictions are that the final could be played in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Also read: Australian bushfire: Shane Warne's baggy green cap sold for over A$1 million; beats Dhoni, Bradman Shane Warne's baggy green cap broke records, he took to twitter to thank his bidder. Thankyou so much to everyone that placed a bid & a huge Thankyou / congrats to the successful bidder - you have blown me away with your generosity and this was way beyond my expectations ! The money will go direct to the Red Cross bushfire appeal. Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vyVcA7NfGs — Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) January 9, 2020 × These big grounds are likely to attract a massive crowd. The two teams will be led by Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne. The venue will be confirmed on January 31 after the confirmation of the Top Two finalists. It is not the first time Cricket Australia has worked for a cause, in a Boxing Day tsunami charity match in January 2005 that attracted a crowd of 70,101 to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, they raised A$14.5 million. The unpredictable fire rage has burnt more than 5.25 million hectares (13 million acres) of land and continues to spread despite volunteer firefighters stepping in. Australia's economy has faced a major setback. × 'The Bushfire Cricket Bash' is going to feature players like Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shane Watson, Alex Blackwell, and Micheal Clarke. Steve Waugh and Mel Jones will be involved but in a non-playing capacity. Alex Blackwell had just retired months ago from the Women's Big Bash League. Australia’s women’s team will begin the day with a T20I clash against India at the Junction Oval, this contest will be followed by the Bushfire Cricket Bash, and then Big Bash League finals will be played. “It is going to be a huge and special day. It’s nice to be part of it,” Ponting told reporters on Sunday.

Bushfire Cricket Bash: Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne to come out of retirement to raise funds

Bushfires in Australia are having a devastating impact on wildlife, with welfare groups racing to rescue as many wild animals as possible. But not all can be saved.

Not all animals injured in bushfires can be saved: Australian volunteers

In pics: Nature's wrath — Inferno in Australia

<p>Australian firefighters used a break from searing temperatures on Tuesday to strengthen containment lines around <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-bushfires-2000-homes-destroyed-military-buries-4000-animals-to-prevent-diseases-272607">huge wildfires</a> as the financial and environmental costs of the crisis mounted.</p>

<p>More than 10.3 million hectares (25.5 million acres) of land an area the size of South Korea - have been razed by bushfires across the country in recent weeks, according to the latest data, with the southeast particularly hard hit.</p>

<p>Imagery posted online from the Himawari 8 Japanese satellite and NASA's Earth Observatory showed plumes of smoke from the fires reaching as far as South America.</p>

<p>Firefighters on the ground were making the most of a few days of cooler temperatures in the southeast to prepare for the expected return of heat and wind later this week that is expected to fan existing blazes and spark new ones.</p>

<p>"We need to remain vigilant," Andrew Crisp, Victoria state's emergency management commissioner, told reporters.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood-celebrity-chris-hemsworth-donates-1million-to-australia-wildfire-272741">Hollywood celebrity Chris Hemsworth donates $1million to Australia wildfire</a></strong></p>

<p>"We talk about benign conditions, and the fire is suppressed, but it is still there. It is still tinder dry."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/everythings-just-gone-weve-got-nothing-aish-australian-bushfire-victim-272566">Australia's bushfire</a> season started earlier than normal this year following a three-year drought that has left much of the country's bushland vulnerable to fires.</p>

<p>Thousands of people have been left homeless, while many in rural towns have spent days without electricity, telecommunications and, in some cases, drinking water. Military-coordinated rescue and support efforts are going on.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the crisis would have a significant economic impact as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg met chief executives of insurers Insurance Australia Group, Suncorp Group and QBE Insurance Group, and local heads of Germany's Allianz and Switzerland's Zurich Insurance Group, plus heads of Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Westpac Banking Group.</p>

<p>Morrison on Monday pledged A$2 billion ($1.39 billion) to a newly created National Bushfire Recovery Agency.</p>

<p>The Insurance Council of Australia increased its estimate for damage claims from the fires to more than A$700 million, with claims expected to jump when more fire-hit areas are accessible.</p>

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<p>Following are some highlights of what is happening in the Australian bushfires crisis:</p>

<p>- Two men reported missing in New South Wales have been found, police said.</p>

<p>- Forty-eight US&nbsp;firefighters are scheduled to arrive in Australia on Wednesday, officials said, joining 39 compatriots already on the ground. A further 18 incident management personnel from the United States and Canada will arrive on Wednesday.</p>

<p>- Prime Minister Morrison said he spoke with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Tuesday, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also offered support.</p>

<p>- Morrison attended the funeral of volunteer firefighter Andrew O’Dwyer, who was killed along with colleague Geoffrey Keaton on Dec. 19 after a burnt tree fell in the path of their firetruck, causing it to roll.</p>

<p>- Data showed the fires were beginning to have an effect on the economy. The ANZ gauge of consumer confidence fell last week to its lowest level in more than four years, while its job advertisement data recorded the biggest monthly drop in seven months in December.</p>

<p>- The military was deployed to help bury an estimated 4,000 dead sheep and cattle.</p>

<p>- Authorities said the number of people calling for urgent medical care in Victoria jumped 51 per cent on Monday as smoke covered the state.</p>

<p>- There were 132 fires ablaze across New South Wales state, but all were back at the "advice" level, the lowest alert rating.</p>

<p>- Victoria state had 39 fires with 13 "watch and act" alerts.</p>

<p>- Almost 1,600 homes have been destroyed in NSW, Australia's most populous state, authorities said. In Victoria state, authorities believe 300 homes have been destroyed.</p>

<p>- Insurers have received 8,985 bushfire-related claims in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland since the Insurance Council declared a bushfire catastrophe on Nov. 8. The claims are estimated to have a loss value of A$700 million. The council recorded the destruction of 1,838 residential properties.</p>

<p>- A member of parliament from Morrison's party was criticised for an appearance on the "Good Morning Britain" ITV program during which he said there was no link between climate change and the bushfire crisis. "There is no link, the facts that cause the fires are the drought and the drying of the environment," lawmaker Craig Kelly said.</p>


Australian firefighters used a break from searing temperatures on Tuesday to strengthen containment lines around huge wildfires as the financial and environmental costs of the crisis mounted.

Australian firefighters used a break from searing temperatures on Tuesday to strengthen containment lines around huge wildfires as the financial and environmental costs of the crisis mounted. More than 10.3 million hectares (25.5 million acres) of land an area the size of South Korea - have been razed by bushfires across the country in recent weeks, according to the latest data, with the southeast particularly hard hit. Imagery posted online from the Himawari 8 Japanese satellite and NASA's Earth Observatory showed plumes of smoke from the fires reaching as far as South America. Firefighters on the ground were making the most of a few days of cooler temperatures in the southeast to prepare for the expected return of heat and wind later this week that is expected to fan existing blazes and spark new ones. "We need to remain vigilant," Andrew Crisp, Victoria state's emergency management commissioner, told reporters. Also read: Hollywood celebrity Chris Hemsworth donates $1million to Australia wildfire "We talk about benign conditions, and the fire is suppressed, but it is still there. It is still tinder dry." Australia's bushfire season started earlier than normal this year following a three-year drought that has left much of the country's bushland vulnerable to fires. Thousands of people have been left homeless, while many in rural towns have spent days without electricity, telecommunications and, in some cases, drinking water. Military-coordinated rescue and support efforts are going on. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the crisis would have a significant economic impact as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg met chief executives of insurers Insurance Australia Group, Suncorp Group and QBE Insurance Group, and local heads of Germany's Allianz and Switzerland's Zurich Insurance Group, plus heads of Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Westpac Banking Group. Morrison on Monday pledged A$2 billion ($1.39 billion) to a newly created National Bushfire Recovery Agency. The Insurance Council of Australia increased its estimate for damage claims from the fires to more than A$700 million, with claims expected to jump when more fire-hit areas are accessible. × Following are some highlights of what is happening in the Australian bushfires crisis: - Two men reported missing in New South Wales have been found, police said. - Forty-eight US firefighters are scheduled to arrive in Australia on Wednesday, officials said, joining 39 compatriots already on the ground. A further 18 incident management personnel from the United States and Canada will arrive on Wednesday. - Prime Minister Morrison said he spoke with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also offered support. - Morrison attended the funeral of volunteer firefighter Andrew O’Dwyer, who was killed along with colleague Geoffrey Keaton on Dec. 19 after a burnt tree fell in the path of their firetruck, causing it to roll. - Data showed the fires were beginning to have an effect on the economy. The ANZ gauge of consumer confidence fell last week to its lowest level in more than four years, while its job advertisement data recorded the biggest monthly drop in seven months in December. - The military was deployed to help bury an estimated 4,000 dead sheep and cattle. - Authorities said the number of people calling for urgent medical care in Victoria jumped 51 per cent on Monday as smoke covered the state. - There were 132 fires ablaze across New South Wales state, but all were back at the "advice" level, the lowest alert rating. - Victoria state had 39 fires with 13 "watch and act" alerts. - Almost 1,600 homes have been destroyed in NSW, Australia's most populous state, authorities said. In Victoria state, authorities believe 300 homes have been destroyed. - Insurers have received 8,985 bushfire-related claims in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland since the Insurance Council declared a bushfire catastrophe on Nov. 8. The claims are estimated to have a loss value of A$700 million. The council recorded the destruction of 1,838 residential properties. - A member of parliament from Morrison's party was criticised for an appearance on the "Good Morning Britain" ITV program during which he said there was no link between climate change and the bushfire crisis. "There is no link, the facts that cause the fires are the drought and the drying of the environment," lawmaker Craig Kelly said.

Australia strengthens bushfire defences as economic, environmental costs mount

Australian farmer, Anthony Thomas, sat on his quad bike on Wednesday (January 8) as he looked at his farm, wiped out by the catastrophic bushfires which swept through Kiah in New South Wales, taking everything in its path when it blazed through four days ago.

'It just meant so much to me': Australian farmer loses entire deer farm to raging bushfire

<p>Just when John Aish and his partner Jenny Shea thought they had beaten the inferno ravaging their two properties in Australia's southeast on New Year's Eve, a roaring fireball came through forcing them to flee.</p>

<p>Aish and Shea did not see each other until the following morning. They are now camping near <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-scrambles-to-reach-thousands-stranded-by-bushfires-at-least-8-dead-271387">Cobargo</a>, about 10 km (6.2 miles) away from their hometown of Wandella.</p>

<p>"We tried really hard. We thought we’d had it beat but the big fireballs came and I said, 'come on kids, we got to go'," Shea told reporters.</p>

<p>"Glad we got out when we did."</p>

<p>Fires have ripped through more than 8 million hectares (19.8 million acres) of land this summer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/making-sense-of-australias-bushfire-crisis-means-asking-hard-questions-and-listening-to-the-answers-272544">fire season</a>, an area nearly the size of Austria, razing thousands of buildings and leaving some towns without electricity and mobile coverage.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Much needed respite from bushfires in Australia</strong></p>

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<p>"Everything’s just gone. We’ve got nothing," Aish said.</p>

<p>Police on Monday confirmed the death of a 71-year-old man on the south coast of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-bushfires-update-authorities-race-to-reopen-blocked-roads-evacuate-people-272450">New South Wales</a> (NSW) state who was reported missing on December&nbsp;31, bringing the death toll to 25.</p>

<p>Among those dead were Aish and Shea's neighbors, a father and a son, killed that same night battling the fires.</p>

<p>"I’d say, like a hurricane. Just bloody quick and, just hard to describe," Aish told reporters as he described the fire.</p>

<p>"The noise was just like a bloody jet, jet engine like just got louder and louder and, just the roar of the wind and that sort of thing."</p>


Just when John Aish and his partner Jenny Shea thought they had beaten the inferno ravaging their two properties in Australia's southeast on New Year's Eve, a roaring fireball came through forcing them to flee.

Just when John Aish and his partner Jenny Shea thought they had beaten the inferno ravaging their two properties in Australia's southeast on New Year's Eve, a roaring fireball came through forcing them to flee. Aish and Shea did not see each other until the following morning. They are now camping near Cobargo, about 10 km (6.2 miles) away from their hometown of Wandella. "We tried really hard. We thought we’d had it beat but the big fireballs came and I said, 'come on kids, we got to go'," Shea told reporters. "Glad we got out when we did." Fires have ripped through more than 8 million hectares (19.8 million acres) of land this summer fire season, an area nearly the size of Austria, razing thousands of buildings and leaving some towns without electricity and mobile coverage. Watch: Much needed respite from bushfires in Australia × "Everything’s just gone. We’ve got nothing," Aish said. Police on Monday confirmed the death of a 71-year-old man on the south coast of New South Wales (NSW) state who was reported missing on December 31, bringing the death toll to 25. Among those dead were Aish and Shea's neighbors, a father and a son, killed that same night battling the fires. "I’d say, like a hurricane. Just bloody quick and, just hard to describe," Aish told reporters as he described the fire. "The noise was just like a bloody jet, jet engine like just got louder and louder and, just the roar of the wind and that sort of thing."

'Everything's just gone, we’ve got nothing': Australian bushfire victim

<p>Fire threats eased in parts of southeastern Australia on Sunday after a horror day of blazes that killed one man and injured four firefighters, but authorities warned several fires were still burning at emergency levels and hot weather was set to return.</p>

<p>As the immediate danger passed and cooler weather tempered the intensity of many fires, authorities began assessing the damage from Saturday's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fuelled-by-high-temperatures-and-strong-winds-australian-bushfires-continues-rage-272114">wildfires</a> that swept across eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales (NSW) states.</p>

<p>Tens of thousands of homes were without power on Sunday as a large-scale military and police effort continued to provide supplies and evacuate people who have been trapped for days by the fires in coastal towns.</p>

<p>Initial estimates put damaged or destroyed properties in the hundreds, but authorities said mass evacuations by residents of at-risk areas appear to have prevented major loss of life.</p>

<p>"It was an awful day yesterday. It was a very difficult day yesterday," NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said on Sunday.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-wildfires-developing-their-own-weather-systems-authorities-272116">Australian wildfires developing their own 'weather systems': Authorities</a></strong></p>

<p>A southerly wind late on Saturday helped bring temperatures down from highs above 40 C (104F) and light rain was forecast in some coastal areas in coming days, but officials said that would not be enough to bring the almost 200 fires still burning under control.</p>

<p>Fitzsimmons said the next major flashpoint would come later in the week, but it was too early to gauge the likely severity of the threat.</p>

<p>NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the immediate focus was on helping people who had lost their homes as well containing the fires still burning.</p>

<p>"The weather activity we're seeing, the extent and spread of the fires, the speed at which they're going, the way in which they are attacking communities who have never ever seen fire before is unprecedented," Berejiklian said.</p>

<p>Australia has been battling blazes across much of its east coast for months, with experts saying climate change has been a major factor in a three-year drought that has left much of the country's bushland tinder-dry and susceptible to fires.</p>
<img alt="australia bushfire" data-caption="A resident uses a garden hose to wet down the house as high winds push smoke and ash from the Currowan Fire towards Nowra, New South Wales, Australia January 4, 2020." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="44452f14-6372-42c7-ab83-aad12b4ea08a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2020.01.05T013153Z_3_LYNXMPEG030PW_RTROPTP_4_AUSTRALIA.BUSHFIRES.jpg" />
<p>Following are highlights of what is happening across Australia:</p>

<p>- The death of a 47-year old man who was defending a friend's rural property in NSW took the national toll this season to 24.</p>

<p>- In the Southern Highlands region south of Sydney, a new fire was burning out of control after the winds helped drive an existing blaze to jump the Shoalhaven and Kangaroo rivers.</p>

<p>- Another fire near the southern coastal town of Eden was at Emergency level, and the ABC reported police have warned people should leave for evacuation centres.</p>

<p>- Five fires in Victoria had Evacuate Now or Emergency Level warnings.</p>

<p>- NSW Premier Berejiklian says there is no one unaccounted for in NSW; Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews says six people remain unaccounted for in Victoria.</p>

<p>- The federal government has announced an unprecedented call up of army reservists to support firefighters as well other resources including a third navy ship equipped for disaster and humanitarian relief.</p>

<p>- RFS Commissioner Fitzsimmons criticised the government for not informing him of its policy proposal, saying he found out about it from the media and it created confusion on one of the busiest days ever for fighting fires. "I was disappointed and I was frustrated in the middle of what was one of our worst days ever on record with massive dislocation and movement of people and a focus on really difficult weather," Fitzsimmons said.</p>

<p>- Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced criticism for a video he posted on social media outlining how the government is tackling the fires. Morrison has been under sustained attack handling of the crisis after he jetted out for a family holiday in Hawaii. He apologised and returned early but was heckled and snubbed when he toured fire-hit regions in recent days.</p>

<p>- More than 5.25 million hectares (13 million acres) of land has been burnt this fire season.&nbsp;</p>


Fire threats eased in parts of southeastern Australia on Sunday after a horror day of blazes that killed one man and injured four firefighters, but authorities warned several fires were still burning at emergency levels and hot weather was set to return.

Fire threats eased in parts of southeastern Australia on Sunday after a horror day of blazes that killed one man and injured four firefighters, but authorities warned several fires were still burning at emergency levels and hot weather was set to return. As the immediate danger passed and cooler weather tempered the intensity of many fires, authorities began assessing the damage from Saturday's wildfires that swept across eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales (NSW) states. Tens of thousands of homes were without power on Sunday as a large-scale military and police effort continued to provide supplies and evacuate people who have been trapped for days by the fires in coastal towns. Initial estimates put damaged or destroyed properties in the hundreds, but authorities said mass evacuations by residents of at-risk areas appear to have prevented major loss of life. "It was an awful day yesterday. It was a very difficult day yesterday," NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said on Sunday. Also read: Australian wildfires developing their own 'weather systems': Authorities A southerly wind late on Saturday helped bring temperatures down from highs above 40 C (104F) and light rain was forecast in some coastal areas in coming days, but officials said that would not be enough to bring the almost 200 fires still burning under control. Fitzsimmons said the next major flashpoint would come later in the week, but it was too early to gauge the likely severity of the threat. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the immediate focus was on helping people who had lost their homes as well containing the fires still burning. "The weather activity we're seeing, the extent and spread of the fires, the speed at which they're going, the way in which they are attacking communities who have never ever seen fire before is unprecedented," Berejiklian said. Australia has been battling blazes across much of its east coast for months, with experts saying climate change has been a major factor in a three-year drought that has left much of the country's bushland tinder-dry and susceptible to fires. Following are highlights of what is happening across Australia: - The death of a 47-year old man who was defending a friend's rural property in NSW took the national toll this season to 24. - In the Southern Highlands region south of Sydney, a new fire was burning out of control after the winds helped drive an existing blaze to jump the Shoalhaven and Kangaroo rivers. - Another fire near the southern coastal town of Eden was at Emergency level, and the ABC reported police have warned people should leave for evacuation centres. - Five fires in Victoria had Evacuate Now or Emergency Level warnings. - NSW Premier Berejiklian says there is no one unaccounted for in NSW; Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews says six people remain unaccounted for in Victoria. - The federal government has announced an unprecedented call up of army reservists to support firefighters as well other resources including a third navy ship equipped for disaster and humanitarian relief. - RFS Commissioner Fitzsimmons criticised the government for not informing him of its policy proposal, saying he found out about it from the media and it created confusion on one of the busiest days ever for fighting fires. "I was disappointed and I was frustrated in the middle of what was one of our worst days ever on record with massive dislocation and movement of people and a focus on really difficult weather," Fitzsimmons said. - Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced criticism for a video he posted on social media outlining how the government is tackling the fires. Morrison has been under sustained attack handling of the crisis after he jetted out for a family holiday in Hawaii. He apologised and returned early but was heckled and snubbed when he toured fire-hit regions in recent days. - More than 5.25 million hectares (13 million acres) of land has been burnt this fire season.

Australian firefighters get brief reprieve as death toll rises

<p>In the wake <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-bushfires-wildlife-destroyed-by-intense-wildfires-could-take-decades-to-recover-271954">devastating bushfires</a> in Australia, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/australian-pm-to-visit-india-in-january-calls-india-a-natural-partner-253636">Prime Minister Scott Morrison</a> has deferred his visit to India which was likely to take place this month.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Morrison was also supposed to visit Japan this month, the trip has been postponed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I should stress that both of those scheduled meetings are postponed and will move quickly to identify another opportunity," Morrison said as reported by news agency Reuters.</p>

<p>This would have been Morrison's first visit to India after taking charge as the Australian PM.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extended an invitation to Morrison to visit India.</p>

<p>"So I am honoured to accept the invitation of my friend Prime Minister Modi to visit India in January, including to deliver the inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue," Morrison had said during the Sydney townhall.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"My visit will be another step in cementing India in the top tier of Australia’s partnerships," he added.</p>

<p>PM Morrison had congratulated Modi after the latter won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Modi also congratulated "Prime Minister Morrison for guiding his Liberal-National Coalition Party to victory in recently concluded elections in Australia," a Ministry of External Affairs release said.</p>


In the wake devastating bushfires in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has deferred his visit to India which was likely to take place this month. PM Morrison was also supposed to visit Japan this month, the trip has been postponed.

In the wake devastating bushfires in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has deferred his visit to India which was likely to take place this month. PM Morrison was also supposed to visit Japan this month, the trip has been postponed. "I should stress that both of those scheduled meetings are postponed and will move quickly to identify another opportunity," Morrison said as reported by news agency Reuters. This would have been Morrison's first visit to India after taking charge as the Australian PM. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extended an invitation to Morrison to visit India. "So I am honoured to accept the invitation of my friend Prime Minister Modi to visit India in January, including to deliver the inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue," Morrison had said during the Sydney townhall. "My visit will be another step in cementing India in the top tier of Australia’s partnerships," he added. PM Morrison had congratulated Modi after the latter won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. PM Modi also congratulated "Prime Minister Morrison for guiding his Liberal-National Coalition Party to victory in recently concluded elections in Australia," a Ministry of External Affairs release said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison defers trip to India, Japan as bushfire crisis looms 

<p>The fierce <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-navy-evacuates-people-trapped-in-mallacoota-as-bushfires-rage-271833">wildfires</a> raging across Australia have estimated to put up a death toll at nearly half a billion animals in one state alone along with the surplus damage that is increasing day by day. Not only it is severely affecting the country's unique flora and fauna but also, impacting the vegetation of the bushlands. Experts believe that it could take&nbsp;decades for wildlife to recover.</p>

<p>Unprecedented temperatures across the continent have made this season's fires particularly deadly, killing at least 20 people and bringing apocalyptic scenes to an area roughly twice the size of Belgium.</p>

<p>The crisis has focused attention on climate change, which scientists say is creating a longer and more <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-orders-mass-evacuation-over-bushfire-danger-military-moves-in-to-help-271499">intense bushfire season</a>, and the Australian government has faced widespread criticism over its response and wider environmental policy.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Australia bushfires: Koalas &amp; Kangaroos undergo partial burns</strong></p>

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<p>Harrowing footage of desperate koalas drinking from water bottles handed to them by rescuers and kangaroos standing helpless in fire-ravaged towns and charred forests have shocked people across the world.</p>

<p>There is some hope, however, as experts believe scorched forests can recover in time, and decimated populations of koalas, kangaroos and other badly affected species may be able to return.</p>

<p>A University of Sydney study estimates that 480 million animals have been killed in just the state of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-flee-fires-in-australia-navy-helps-evacuate-the-stranded-271716">New South Wales</a> (NSW) since September 2019, and according to a statement released Friday the authors said the "highly conservative" mortality calculations could mean the toll could be "substantially higher".</p>

<p>In order to reach the figure, the researchers cross-referenced estimates of mammal population density in NSW with areas of vegetation known to have been scorched to work out the death toll, which includes mammals, birds and reptiles, but not insects, bats or frogs.</p>

<p>"The true loss of animal life is likely to be much higher than 480 million," the statement said.</p>

<p>"NSW's wildlife is seriously threatened and under increasing pressure from a range of threats, including land clearing, exotic pests and climate change."</p>

<p>Professor Andrew Beattie from Macquarie University near Sydney told media he believes the death toll of animals nationwide could be in the billions, "if you think of mammals, and birds, and reptiles, amphibians and say the larger insects such as butterflies".</p>

<p>"We can be pretty sure that in large parts of these very expansive fires, most of the wildlife will be dead," the emeritus professor from the department of biological sciences said.</p>

<p>"The flora and fauna will be gone, and that includes the smaller animals which form the food chain for the bigger ones, which people often don't think about."</p>

<p>Koala populations have been hit particularly hard because they live in trees, feed only on certain types of eucalypts and cannot move quickly enough away from the flames.</p>

<p>Even before this year's bushfire crisis, numbers in NSW and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/smoke-haze-settles-over-australian-capital-as-bushfires-burn-266894">Queensland</a> had already dropped by 42 per cent between 1990 and 2010, according to the federally threatened species scientific committee.</p>

<p>The plight of the marsupial, native to Australia, has been raised in the country's parliament, with Nature Conservation Council ecologist Mark Graham telling lawmakers: "The fires have burnt so hot and so fast that there has been significant mortality of animals in the trees, but there is such a big area now that is still on fire and still burning that we will probably never find the bodies."</p>

<p>Previous studies have found that fires do not spread across the landscape uniformly, and some places are left unscathed even if areas around them are totally devastated.</p>

<p>"It's those areas that are untouched or have suffered less where wildlife tends to accumulate if they can get there," Beattie told AFP, adding that if there are enough of these, the burnt forests should regenerate over time but only if conditions improve quickly.</p>

<p>Asked if there was hope for the repopulation of animals in the worst-hit areas, Beattie said it depends on factors including rainfall, climate and logging, and it could take up to 40 years for habitats to return to normal.</p>

<p>Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-pm-announces-compensation-for-volunteer-firefighters-270788">Scott Morrison's</a> handling of the crisis has provoked fury in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/residents-of-small-australian-communities-told-to-evacuate-as-fire-approaches-270749">Australia</a> and further afield, and Beattie said the response, particularly from the federal government, has been "lamentably slow and their attitude is still lamentably casual".</p>

<p>"You've got federal politicians with very little knowledge of the environment, which is, as we are now discovering 'the real world', and hence have not perceived the oncoming catastrophes."</p>


The fierce wildfires raging across Australia have estimated to put up a death toll at nearly half a billion animals in one state alone along with the surplus damage that is increasing day by day.

The fierce wildfires raging across Australia have estimated to put up a death toll at nearly half a billion animals in one state alone along with the surplus damage that is increasing day by day. Not only it is severely affecting the country's unique flora and fauna but also, impacting the vegetation of the bushlands. Experts believe that it could take decades for wildlife to recover. Unprecedented temperatures across the continent have made this season's fires particularly deadly, killing at least 20 people and bringing apocalyptic scenes to an area roughly twice the size of Belgium. The crisis has focused attention on climate change, which scientists say is creating a longer and more intense bushfire season, and the Australian government has faced widespread criticism over its response and wider environmental policy. Watch: Australia bushfires: Koalas & Kangaroos undergo partial burns × Harrowing footage of desperate koalas drinking from water bottles handed to them by rescuers and kangaroos standing helpless in fire-ravaged towns and charred forests have shocked people across the world. There is some hope, however, as experts believe scorched forests can recover in time, and decimated populations of koalas, kangaroos and other badly affected species may be able to return. A University of Sydney study estimates that 480 million animals have been killed in just the state of New South Wales (NSW) since September 2019, and according to a statement released Friday the authors said the "highly conservative" mortality calculations could mean the toll could be "substantially higher". In order to reach the figure, the researchers cross-referenced estimates of mammal population density in NSW with areas of vegetation known to have been scorched to work out the death toll, which includes mammals, birds and reptiles, but not insects, bats or frogs. "The true loss of animal life is likely to be much higher than 480 million," the statement said. "NSW's wildlife is seriously threatened and under increasing pressure from a range of threats, including land clearing, exotic pests and climate change." Professor Andrew Beattie from Macquarie University near Sydney told media he believes the death toll of animals nationwide could be in the billions, "if you think of mammals, and birds, and reptiles, amphibians and say the larger insects such as butterflies". "We can be pretty sure that in large parts of these very expansive fires, most of the wildlife will be dead," the emeritus professor from the department of biological sciences said. "The flora and fauna will be gone, and that includes the smaller animals which form the food chain for the bigger ones, which people often don't think about." Koala populations have been hit particularly hard because they live in trees, feed only on certain types of eucalypts and cannot move quickly enough away from the flames. Even before this year's bushfire crisis, numbers in NSW and Queensland had already dropped by 42 per cent between 1990 and 2010, according to the federally threatened species scientific committee. The plight of the marsupial, native to Australia, has been raised in the country's parliament, with Nature Conservation Council ecologist Mark Graham telling lawmakers: "The fires have burnt so hot and so fast that there has been significant mortality of animals in the trees, but there is such a big area now that is still on fire and still burning that we will probably never find the bodies." Previous studies have found that fires do not spread across the landscape uniformly, and some places are left unscathed even if areas around them are totally devastated. "It's those areas that are untouched or have suffered less where wildlife tends to accumulate if they can get there," Beattie told AFP, adding that if there are enough of these, the burnt forests should regenerate over time but only if conditions improve quickly. Asked if there was hope for the repopulation of animals in the worst-hit areas, Beattie said it depends on factors including rainfall, climate and logging, and it could take up to 40 years for habitats to return to normal. Prime Minister Scott Morrison's handling of the crisis has provoked fury in Australia and further afield, and Beattie said the response, particularly from the federal government, has been "lamentably slow and their attitude is still lamentably casual". "You've got federal politicians with very little knowledge of the environment, which is, as we are now discovering 'the real world', and hence have not perceived the oncoming catastrophes."

Australia Bushfires: Destroyed wildlife could take decades to recover

Residents and tourists along the New South Wales south coast started evacuations on Thursday (January 2) with authorities declaring a "tourist leave zone" for hundred's of kilometres of the coast.

Thousands evacuate New South Wales south coast ahead of bushfire threat

<p>A third person was confirmed dead on Wednesday in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-scrambles-to-reach-thousands-stranded-by-bushfires-at-least-8-dead-271387">devastating bushfires</a> that engulfed Australia's southeast coast this week and a fourth was missing and feared dead, as navy ships rushed to provide supplies and assist with evacuations.</p>

<p>At least 15 people are now believed to have died, while scores of people remain missing after weeks of fires that have ripped through Australia's east coast, much of which is tinder-dry after three years of drought.</p>

<p>Fanned by soaring temperatures, columns of fire and smoke-blackened entire towns on Monday and Tuesday, forcing thousands of residents and holidaymakers to seek shelter on beaches. Many stood in shallow water to escape the flames.</p>

<p>Bushfires have destroyed more than 4 million hectares (10 million acres) and new blazes are sparked almost daily by extremely hot and windy conditions and, most recently, dry lightning strikes created by the fires themselves.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: What is causing bushfires in Australia?</strong></p>

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<p>Cooler conditions on Wednesday gave the country a moment to count the cost of the fires, although there were still more than 100 blazes in New South Wales (NSW) state alone and thousands of firefighters on the ground.</p>

<p>The body of a man was found in a burnt car early on Wednesday on the south coast of New South Wales after emergency workers began reaching the most damaged areas, and police said the death toll will rise.</p>

<p>"Sadly, we can report today that police have confirmed a further three deaths as a result of the fires on the South Coast," NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys told reporters in Sydney.</p>

<p>"Police are also at Lake Conjola now, where a house has been destroyed by fire and the occupant of that home is still unaccounted for."</p>

<p>NSW police did not identify the missing man but said he was 72 years old and authorities have been unable to reach his home.</p>

<p>Police said early assessments have found nearly 200 homes have been destroyed, though they cautioned it was an early estimate.</p>

<p>In Victoria state, four people remain missing, state Premier Daniel Andrews said, after a massive blaze ripped through Gippsland - a rural region about 500 km east of Melbourne.</p>

<p>About 4,000 people in the town of Mallacoota in Victoria headed to the waterfront after the main road was cut off.</p>

<p>Mark Tregellas, a resident of Mallacoota who spent the night on a boat ramp, said only a late shift in the wind direction sparred lives.</p>

<p>"The fire just continued to grow and then the black started to descend. I couldn't see the hand in front in my face, and it then it started to glow red and we knew the fire was coming," Tregellas told Reuters.</p>

<p>"Ash started to fall from the air and then the embers started to come down. At that point, people started to bring their kids and families into the water. Thankfully, the wind changed and the fire moved away."</p>

<p>Thousands of Australians remain cut off as fires force the closure of major roads, leaving many struggling to secure supplies.</p>

<p>In Milton, a small town on the NSW south coast, locals queued for hours for the few remaining items left of shelves on supermarkets.</p>

<p>Emma Schirmer, who evacuated from her house in Batemans Bay with her three-month child on Tuesday, said the local shop was limiting sales to six items per customer, while a power outage meant shoppers could pay only with cash.</p>

<p>As shops run low and firefighters struggle with exhaustion, Australia's military, including Black Hawk helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and naval vessels were being deployed.</p>

<p>Victoria's emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, said the 176-metre-long HMAS Choules may be used to evacuate many of those stranded in Mallacoota, though with a capacity of 1,000 it will be insufficient alone.</p>

<p>HMAS Choules is due to arrive on Thursday.</p>

<p>NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said authorities were working to restore communications with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-scrambles-to-reach-thousands-stranded-by-bushfires-at-least-8-dead-271387">areas cut off by the fires</a>, though she warned conditions will deteriorate again over the weekend.</p>

<p>"Weather conditions on Saturday will be as bad as they were" on Tuesday, Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Australia's capital Canberra was blanketed in thick smoke, reaching about 20 times hazardous levels, prompting health warnings.</p>

<p>The smoke has also drifted to New Zealand where it has turned the daytime sky orange across the South Island.</p>


A third person was confirmed dead on Wednesday in devastating bushfires that engulfed Australia's southeast coast this week and a fourth was missing and feared dead, as navy ships rushed to provide supplies and assist with evacuations.

A third person was confirmed dead on Wednesday in devastating bushfires that engulfed Australia's southeast coast this week and a fourth was missing and feared dead, as navy ships rushed to provide supplies and assist with evacuations. At least 15 people are now believed to have died, while scores of people remain missing after weeks of fires that have ripped through Australia's east coast, much of which is tinder-dry after three years of drought. Fanned by soaring temperatures, columns of fire and smoke-blackened entire towns on Monday and Tuesday, forcing thousands of residents and holidaymakers to seek shelter on beaches. Many stood in shallow water to escape the flames. Bushfires have destroyed more than 4 million hectares (10 million acres) and new blazes are sparked almost daily by extremely hot and windy conditions and, most recently, dry lightning strikes created by the fires themselves. Watch: What is causing bushfires in Australia? Cooler conditions on Wednesday gave the country a moment to count the cost of the fires, although there were still more than 100 blazes in New South Wales (NSW) state alone and thousands of firefighters on the ground. The body of a man was found in a burnt car early on Wednesday on the south coast of New South Wales after emergency workers began reaching the most damaged areas, and police said the death toll will rise. "Sadly, we can report today that police have confirmed a further three deaths as a result of the fires on the South Coast," NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys told reporters in Sydney. "Police are also at Lake Conjola now, where a house has been destroyed by fire and the occupant of that home is still unaccounted for." NSW police did not identify the missing man but said he was 72 years old and authorities have been unable to reach his home. Police said early assessments have found nearly 200 homes have been destroyed, though they cautioned it was an early estimate. In Victoria state, four people remain missing, state Premier Daniel Andrews said, after a massive blaze ripped through Gippsland - a rural region about 500 km east of Melbourne. About 4,000 people in the town of Mallacoota in Victoria headed to the waterfront after the main road was cut off. Mark Tregellas, a resident of Mallacoota who spent the night on a boat ramp, said only a late shift in the wind direction sparred lives. "The fire just continued to grow and then the black started to descend. I couldn't see the hand in front in my face, and it then it started to glow red and we knew the fire was coming," Tregellas told Reuters. "Ash started to fall from the air and then the embers started to come down. At that point, people started to bring their kids and families into the water. Thankfully, the wind changed and the fire moved away." Thousands of Australians remain cut off as fires force the closure of major roads, leaving many struggling to secure supplies. In Milton, a small town on the NSW south coast, locals queued for hours for the few remaining items left of shelves on supermarkets. Emma Schirmer, who evacuated from her house in Batemans Bay with her three-month child on Tuesday, said the local shop was limiting sales to six items per customer, while a power outage meant shoppers could pay only with cash. As shops run low and firefighters struggle with exhaustion, Australia's military, including Black Hawk helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and naval vessels were being deployed. Victoria's emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, said the 176-metre-long HMAS Choules may be used to evacuate many of those stranded in Mallacoota, though with a capacity of 1,000 it will be insufficient alone. HMAS Choules is due to arrive on Thursday. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said authorities were working to restore communications with areas cut off by the fires, though she warned conditions will deteriorate again over the weekend. "Weather conditions on Saturday will be as bad as they were" on Tuesday, Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. Meanwhile, Australia's capital Canberra was blanketed in thick smoke, reaching about 20 times hazardous levels, prompting health warnings. The smoke has also drifted to New Zealand where it has turned the daytime sky orange across the South Island.

Death toll in Australia reaches fifteen as bushfires rage

<p>Australian <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-pm-visits-firefighters-after-stirring-controversy-for-hawaii-vacation-269526">Prime Minister Scott Morrison</a> lashed out at "reckless and job-destroying" calls to introduce cuts in coal industry as the country struggles with wildfires.</p>

<p>"I am not going to write off the jobs of thousands of Australians by walking away from traditional industries," PM Morrison told Australia's Seven Network, while reiterating the same line to other news channels.</p>

<p>Australia has been hit by catastrophic <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bushfires-hit-emergency-level-on-sydneys-outskirts-one-dead-in-south-australia-269445">bushfires across New South Wales</a> with blazes around Sydney burning to emergency levels.</p>

<p>On Saturday, one person was killed due to the fire even as several major roads around Sydney remained shut ahead of Christmas.</p>

<p>"What we won't do is engage in reckless and job-destroying and economy-crunching targets which are being sought," PM Morrison told Australia's Channel 9 amid the wildfire controversy.</p>

<p>Reports said at least hundred fires were still raging across New South Wales last week of which six were characterised as "emergency level" with several thousand emergency personnel working across the state.</p>

<p>Two firefighters had died last week after truck was struck by a falling tree as it travelled the fire taking the death toll in New South Wales to eight.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, police have warned people not to travel by roads during the day during to soaring temperatures.</p>

<p>In South Australia, authorities said one person was found dead, another was injured and several homes destroyed by a fire in the Adelaide Hills. In Victoria, authorities said 142 fires had started in the state since last Friday, with two burning at an emergency level on Saturday afternoon.</p>


Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison lashed out at "reckless and job-destroying" calls to introduce cuts in coal industry as the country struggles with wildfires.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison lashed out at "reckless and job-destroying" calls to introduce cuts in coal industry as the country struggles with wildfires. "I am not going to write off the jobs of thousands of Australians by walking away from traditional industries," PM Morrison told Australia's Seven Network, while reiterating the same line to other news channels. Australia has been hit by catastrophic bushfires across New South Wales with blazes around Sydney burning to emergency levels. On Saturday, one person was killed due to the fire even as several major roads around Sydney remained shut ahead of Christmas. "What we won't do is engage in reckless and job-destroying and economy-crunching targets which are being sought," PM Morrison told Australia's Channel 9 amid the wildfire controversy. Reports said at least hundred fires were still raging across New South Wales last week of which six were characterised as "emergency level" with several thousand emergency personnel working across the state. Two firefighters had died last week after truck was struck by a falling tree as it travelled the fire taking the death toll in New South Wales to eight. Meanwhile, police have warned people not to travel by roads during the day during to soaring temperatures. In South Australia, authorities said one person was found dead, another was injured and several homes destroyed by a fire in the Adelaide Hills. In Victoria, authorities said 142 fires had started in the state since last Friday, with two burning at an emergency level on Saturday afternoon.

Australian PM Scott Morrison hits out at 'reckless' calls to cut coal industry

Ring of fire: Australian state declares emergency as wildfires approach Sydney

A 12-year-old boy Lucas Sturrock in Australia and his dog have escaped a fire that was lapping his family's farmhouse by grabbing the keys to his brother's pick-up truck and driving to safety.

12-year-old boy drives truck to escape Australian bushfire

<p>Thousands were expected to rally in Sydney on Wednesday to demand urgent climate action from Australia's government, as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sydneysiders-urged-to-stay-indoors-as-australian-bushfire-smoke-blankets-city-263900">bushfire smoke</a> choking the city caused health problems to spike.</p>

<p>Smoke alarms rang out across Australia's biggest city Tuesday with thick haze from bushfires burning along the country's east coast forced buildings to be evacuated, school children to be kept indoors, and ferries to be cancelled.</p>

<p>Sydney has endured weeks bathed in<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-protests-kick-off-in-smoke-covered-sydney-265149"> toxic smoke</a> as hundreds of blazes have raged across the countryside, with hospitals recording a 25 per cent increase in the number of people visiting emergency departments last week.</p>

<p>The devastating fires have focused attention on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/climate-change-takes-a-toll-on-sydney-264029">climate change</a>, with scientists saying the blazes have come earlier and with more intensity than usual due to global warming and a prolonged drought.</p>

<p>At least 5,000 people were expected at Wednesday's protest, according to organiser Chloe Rafferty, who said the bushfires and smoke haze had created anger at the conservative government's inaction on curbing emissions.</p>

<p>"I think the wider public can see that we are not expecting the climate crisis in the future but we are facing the climate crisis now," she told AFP.</p>

<p>"People are experiencing it in their day-to-day lives."</p>

<p>As well as a rise in people visiting hospitals with smoke-related health symptoms, the number of emergency calls for ambulances spiked 30 per cent last week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"For most people, smoke causes mild symptoms like sore eyes, nose, and throat," top health department official Richard Broome said.</p>

<p>"However, people with conditions like asthma, emphysema, and angina are at greater risk because the smoke can trigger their symptoms."</p>

<p>Smoke from bushfires is one of the biggest contributors to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-bushfires-record-air-pollution-numbers-recorded-in-new-south-wales-sydney-chokes-263757">air pollution in Australia</a>, releasing fine particles that can lodge deep within people's lungs and cause "severe" health impacts over time, according to scientist Mick Meyer from government-funded scientific research agency CSIRO.</p>

<p>"The impact of smoke on people remote from the fires may, on occasion, substantially exceed the direct injury to people within the fire zone," he wrote in The Conversation.</p>

<p>"But we currently lack the operational tools to understand the extent of these impacts or to manage them."</p>

<p>Six people have been killed and more than 700 houses destroyed&nbsp;in bushfires this fire season.</p>

<p>Though the human toll has been far lower than the deadliest fire season in 2009 when almost 200 people died the scale of this year's devastation has been widely described as unprecedented.</p>

<p>Three million hectares (7.4 million acres) of land has been burnt the size of some small countries and vast swathes of koala habitat scorched.</p>

<p>Official data shows 2019 is on track to be one of the hottest and driest years on record in Australia.</p>


Thousands were expected to rally in Sydney on Wednesday to demand urgent climate action from Australia's government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike.

Thousands were expected to rally in Sydney on Wednesday to demand urgent climate action from Australia's government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike. Smoke alarms rang out across Australia's biggest city Tuesday with thick haze from bushfires burning along the country's east coast forced buildings to be evacuated, school children to be kept indoors, and ferries to be cancelled. Sydney has endured weeks bathed in toxic smoke as hundreds of blazes have raged across the countryside, with hospitals recording a 25 per cent increase in the number of people visiting emergency departments last week. The devastating fires have focused attention on climate change, with scientists saying the blazes have come earlier and with more intensity than usual due to global warming and a prolonged drought. At least 5,000 people were expected at Wednesday's protest, according to organiser Chloe Rafferty, who said the bushfires and smoke haze had created anger at the conservative government's inaction on curbing emissions. "I think the wider public can see that we are not expecting the climate crisis in the future but we are facing the climate crisis now," she told AFP. "People are experiencing it in their day-to-day lives." As well as a rise in people visiting hospitals with smoke-related health symptoms, the number of emergency calls for ambulances spiked 30 per cent last week. "For most people, smoke causes mild symptoms like sore eyes, nose, and throat," top health department official Richard Broome said. "However, people with conditions like asthma, emphysema, and angina are at greater risk because the smoke can trigger their symptoms." Smoke from bushfires is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in Australia, releasing fine particles that can lodge deep within people's lungs and cause "severe" health impacts over time, according to scientist Mick Meyer from government-funded scientific research agency CSIRO. "The impact of smoke on people remote from the fires may, on occasion, substantially exceed the direct injury to people within the fire zone," he wrote in The Conversation. "But we currently lack the operational tools to understand the extent of these impacts or to manage them." Six people have been killed and more than 700 houses destroyed in bushfires this fire season. Though the human toll has been far lower than the deadliest fire season in 2009 when almost 200 people died the scale of this year's devastation has been widely described as unprecedented. Three million hectares (7.4 million acres) of land has been burnt the size of some small countries and vast swathes of koala habitat scorched. Official data shows 2019 is on track to be one of the hottest and driest years on record in Australia.

Australians to protest as bushfire haze sparks health concerns

Australia's Mega Blaze inches closer to Sydney. More than 8 fires merged to form a mega blaze.

Australia's bushfire now a 'mega blaze'

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/deadly-australian-bushfires-haze-sydney-261641">Australian bushfires</a> have caused unprecedented pollution in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-protests-kick-off-in-smoke-covered-sydney-265149">Sydney</a> and along the country's east coast, officials said Thursday, with smoke and dust burning residents' eyes and prompting a spike in respiratory complaints.</p>

<p>Hundreds of bushfires have burned out of control since September up and down the eastern seaboard, blanketing cities from Sydney to Brisbane in smoke for weeks on end.</p>

<p>The extent of the crisis was made clear Thursday, with the New South Wales Department of environment declaring bushfires and dust had caused "some of the highest air pollution ever seen" in Australia.</p>

<p>The region "has experienced other periods of poor air quality that lasted several weeks, including the 1994 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sydneysiders-urged-to-stay-indoors-as-australian-bushfire-smoke-blankets-city-263900">Sydney bushfires </a>and the Black Christmas bushfires of December 2001-January&nbsp;2002," a spokeswoman told AFP.</p>

<p>"This event, however, is the longest and the most widespread in our records."</p>

<p>New South Wales Rural Fire Service said more than a dozen fires were burning near Sydney on Thursday, including three that carried an emergency warning.</p>

<p>For three weeks the city has seen almost daily air quality warnings.</p>

<p>Bushfires are common in Australia, but scientists say this year's season has come earlier and with more intensity due to a prolonged drought fuelled by climate change.</p>

<p>New South Wales health officials said more people with asthma were turning up at hospitals, and ambulance call-outs for breathing problems were up 24 percent in the week to December 1.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, tourists and residents took measures to combat the smoke, buying facemasks and staying indoors as much as possible.</p>

<p>On Thursday, Sydney's air quality index registered fine particulate pollution small enough to penetrate deep inside the lungs at over 160 parts per million, far above levels considered to be safe.</p>

<p>Local newspapers and television have posted advice about how to limit the impact of the smoke offering tips on what masks to buy and what activities are safest.</p>

<p>The smoke caused golfers at the Australian Open one&nbsp;of the world's oldest national opens to complain about conditions.</p>

<p>"It's tough to see your golf ball when you're out there playing, where it finishes. Your eyes do burn,"&nbsp;said 2015 champion Matt Jones.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I've got that cough like you've got something in your lungs, phlegm in your lungs or whatever, but it's not fun," he said. "I hope my kids are inside the hotel room."</p>


Australian bushfires have caused unprecedented pollution in Sydney and along the country's east coast, officials said Thursday, with smoke and dust burning residents' eyes and prompting a spike in respiratory complaints.

Australian bushfires have caused unprecedented pollution in Sydney and along the country's east coast, officials said Thursday, with smoke and dust burning residents' eyes and prompting a spike in respiratory complaints. Hundreds of bushfires have burned out of control since September up and down the eastern seaboard, blanketing cities from Sydney to Brisbane in smoke for weeks on end. The extent of the crisis was made clear Thursday, with the New South Wales Department of environment declaring bushfires and dust had caused "some of the highest air pollution ever seen" in Australia. The region "has experienced other periods of poor air quality that lasted several weeks, including the 1994 Sydney bushfires and the Black Christmas bushfires of December 2001-January 2002," a spokeswoman told AFP. "This event, however, is the longest and the most widespread in our records." New South Wales Rural Fire Service said more than a dozen fires were burning near Sydney on Thursday, including three that carried an emergency warning. For three weeks the city has seen almost daily air quality warnings. Bushfires are common in Australia, but scientists say this year's season has come earlier and with more intensity due to a prolonged drought fuelled by climate change. New South Wales health officials said more people with asthma were turning up at hospitals, and ambulance call-outs for breathing problems were up 24 percent in the week to December 1. Meanwhile, tourists and residents took measures to combat the smoke, buying facemasks and staying indoors as much as possible. On Thursday, Sydney's air quality index registered fine particulate pollution small enough to penetrate deep inside the lungs at over 160 parts per million, far above levels considered to be safe. Local newspapers and television have posted advice about how to limit the impact of the smoke offering tips on what masks to buy and what activities are safest. The smoke caused golfers at the Australian Open one of the world's oldest national opens to complain about conditions. "It's tough to see your golf ball when you're out there playing, where it finishes. Your eyes do burn," said 2015 champion Matt Jones. "I've got that cough like you've got something in your lungs, phlegm in your lungs or whatever, but it's not fun," he said. "I hope my kids are inside the hotel room."

Sydney smoke crisis 'longest on record'

<p>Hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/california-school-shooter-used-kit-gun-authorities-263791">California</a>&nbsp;firefighters&nbsp;on Tuesday battled a wind-driven bushfire that grew out of control overnight near Santa Barbara, threatening thousands of homes and prompting evacuation orders.</p>

<p>The so-called "Cave Fire" that started on Monday in Los Padres National Forest, grew to nearly 4,300 acres&nbsp;overnight as it moved toward populated areas in the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta and nearby communities about a two hours' drive north of Los Angeles.</p>

<p>Some 600&nbsp;firefighters&nbsp;were battling the&nbsp;blaze&nbsp;that prompted evacuation orders for about 2,300 homes or nearly 5,500 people.</p>

<p>Fire officials said helicopters and fixed-wing planes were assisting the&nbsp;firefighters&nbsp;who faced steep, rugged terrain.</p>

<p>"The Cave Fire is burning under some of the toughest firefighting conditions anywhere in the world," said Los Padres National Forest Fire Chief Jimmy Harris.</p>

<p>"We’ve experienced several offshore wind events at this point, and that has just dried the fuel bed out to the point where we're seeing the fire behaviour we saw last night."&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said the&nbsp;blaze&nbsp;was all the more challenging for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/teams-make-progress-against-latest-major-california-blaze-259577">firefighters</a>&nbsp;as high winds were pushing the flames downhill and then back uphill.</p>

<p>Authorities said the fire, the cause of which was unknown, was zero per cent contained by midday Tuesday but they were hopeful that a storm set to arrive in the area later in the day would help extinguish the flames.</p>

<p>While the rain could bring much-needed relief for&nbsp;firefighters, officials warned that it may also prompt flash floods and debris flows.</p>

<p>Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said that about 4,000 people who were forced to evacuate would be allowed back into their homes Tuesday afternoon.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sydneysiders-urged-to-stay-indoors-as-australian-bushfire-smoke-blankets-city-263900">blaze</a>&nbsp;comes on the heels of a series of major fires that erupted in the state last month destroying homes and vineyards and forcing thousands of people to flee.</p>


Hundreds of California firefighters on Tuesday battled a wind-driven bushfire that grew out of control overnight near Santa Barbara, threatening thousands of homes and prompting evacuation orders.

Hundreds of California firefighters on Tuesday battled a wind-driven bushfire that grew out of control overnight near Santa Barbara, threatening thousands of homes and prompting evacuation orders. The so-called "Cave Fire" that started on Monday in Los Padres National Forest, grew to nearly 4,300 acres overnight as it moved toward populated areas in the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta and nearby communities about a two hours' drive north of Los Angeles. Some 600 firefighters were battling the blaze that prompted evacuation orders for about 2,300 homes or nearly 5,500 people. Fire officials said helicopters and fixed-wing planes were assisting the firefighters who faced steep, rugged terrain. "The Cave Fire is burning under some of the toughest firefighting conditions anywhere in the world," said Los Padres National Forest Fire Chief Jimmy Harris. "We’ve experienced several offshore wind events at this point, and that has just dried the fuel bed out to the point where we're seeing the fire behaviour we saw last night." He said the blaze was all the more challenging for firefighters as high winds were pushing the flames downhill and then back uphill. Authorities said the fire, the cause of which was unknown, was zero per cent contained by midday Tuesday but they were hopeful that a storm set to arrive in the area later in the day would help extinguish the flames. While the rain could bring much-needed relief for firefighters, officials warned that it may also prompt flash floods and debris flows. Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said that about 4,000 people who were forced to evacuate would be allowed back into their homes Tuesday afternoon. The blaze comes on the heels of a series of major fires that erupted in the state last month destroying homes and vineyards and forcing thousands of people to flee.

California: 'Cave Fire' threatens thousands of homes and triggers evacuation

<p>Australia's New South Wales is struggling with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-bushfires-rage-and-choke-sydney-australian-pm-denies-link-to-climate-policies-263569">worst levels of air pollution</a> ever recorded as smoke emanating from bushfires has caused a spike in hospital visits and causing poor visibility for drivers.</p>

<p>Sydney, the country's most populous city, woke up to a thick haze, and blood-red sun, for the fourth consecutive day on Friday, even as a cooler change brought some relief for firefighters battling scores of wildfires across the country's southeast.</p>

<p>The harbour city of Sydney peaked at number eight on the Air Visual global rankings, where it now at number ten - a rare appearance for the city. This effectively makes it one of the most polluted cities in the world. It ranks above Jakarta and Shenzhen, and just below Mumbai and Kolkata.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison is now facing mounting pressure to find a solution as critics slam him for not doing enough. He recently claimed that the bushfire had nothing to do with his climate policies, including the one that supports the coal industry.</p>

<p>"The suggestion that Australia, by having some trade-off where we could have higher emissions reduction targets, which would destroy jobs in regional communities, if we did that, then we wouldn't be having these fires. That is just not true," Morrison told 3AW radio.</p>

<p>Morrison's conservative government has committed to the Paris Agreement to reduce its emissions by 26-28 per cent&nbsp;from 2005 levels by 2030. Critics point out that current projections suggest it will not meet that target and have called on the government to put in place policies to address the shortfall.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Hazardous thick layer of bushfire smoke covers Sydney</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australia-hazardous-thick-layer-of-bushfire-smoke-covered-sydney-263107/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"The impacts of the ongoing drought and recent bushfires have led to some of the highest levels of air pollutants recorded in New South Wales since air quality monitoring began during the millennium drought," a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Planning, Industry and Environment said in an email.</p>

<p>Workers heading into the city and children going to school donned masks <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bushfire-threat-spreads-wreaks-havoc-in-australia-as-sydney-chokes-263481">to deal with the hazardous air quality</a> while 55 bush and grass fires still burned across the state after two weeks.</p>

<p>The smoke coming from the bushfires contains particulate pollution, which gets absorbed into the bloodstream. According to the NSW Health Ministry, the number of people showing up at hospital emergency departments has increased.</p>

<p>Authorities have also advised drivers to practice caution in New South Wales and South Australia owing to low visibility.</p>

<p>The bushfires have already left at least four people dead and destroyed more than 400 homes across two states since the start of November. Fires are still burning in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland states.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hazardous-bushfire-smoke-blankets-sydney-residents-warned-to-stay-inside-263070">Bushfires are common in Australia</a>, but the fire season this year began much earlier than usual, with temperatures reaching 40-degree celsius. Three years of drought have also added to the menace, with help from high winds.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from Reuters)</em></p>


Australia's New South Wales is struggling with the worst levels of air pollution ever recorded as smoke emanating from bushfires has caused a spike in hospital visits and causing poor visibility for drivers.

Australia's New South Wales is struggling with the worst levels of air pollution ever recorded as smoke emanating from bushfires has caused a spike in hospital visits and causing poor visibility for drivers. Sydney, the country's most populous city, woke up to a thick haze, and blood-red sun, for the fourth consecutive day on Friday, even as a cooler change brought some relief for firefighters battling scores of wildfires across the country's southeast. The harbour city of Sydney peaked at number eight on the Air Visual global rankings, where it now at number ten - a rare appearance for the city. This effectively makes it one of the most polluted cities in the world. It ranks above Jakarta and Shenzhen, and just below Mumbai and Kolkata. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is now facing mounting pressure to find a solution as critics slam him for not doing enough. He recently claimed that the bushfire had nothing to do with his climate policies, including the one that supports the coal industry. "The suggestion that Australia, by having some trade-off where we could have higher emissions reduction targets, which would destroy jobs in regional communities, if we did that, then we wouldn't be having these fires. That is just not true," Morrison told 3AW radio. Morrison's conservative government has committed to the Paris Agreement to reduce its emissions by 26-28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. Critics point out that current projections suggest it will not meet that target and have called on the government to put in place policies to address the shortfall. Watch: Hazardous thick layer of bushfire smoke covers Sydney "The impacts of the ongoing drought and recent bushfires have led to some of the highest levels of air pollutants recorded in New South Wales since air quality monitoring began during the millennium drought," a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Planning, Industry and Environment said in an email. Workers heading into the city and children going to school donned masks to deal with the hazardous air quality while 55 bush and grass fires still burned across the state after two weeks. The smoke coming from the bushfires contains particulate pollution, which gets absorbed into the bloodstream. According to the NSW Health Ministry, the number of people showing up at hospital emergency departments has increased. Authorities have also advised drivers to practice caution in New South Wales and South Australia owing to low visibility. The bushfires have already left at least four people dead and destroyed more than 400 homes across two states since the start of November. Fires are still burning in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland states. Bushfires are common in Australia, but the fire season this year began much earlier than usual, with temperatures reaching 40-degree celsius. Three years of drought have also added to the menace, with help from high winds. (With inputs from Reuters)

Australia bushfires: Record air pollution numbers recorded in New South Wales, Sydney chokes

Strong winds stoked more than 100 fires across Australia's east coast on Tuesday, blanketing Sydney in hazardous smoke and prompting health warnings for the country's most populous city.

Australia: Hazardous thick layer of bushfire smoke covers Sydney

<p>The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hazardous-bushfire-smoke-blankets-sydney-residents-warned-to-stay-inside-263070">fire danger</a> was elevated across wider swathes of southern Australia on Thursday, with residents warned to avoid at-risk areas as smoke from bushfires choked Sydney and other major cities.</p>

<p>Devastating fires along the country's east coast have claimed six lives and destroyed more than 500 homes since mid-October, with climate change and unseasonably hot, dry conditions fuelling the unprecedented blazes.</p>

<p>Now the fire danger has moved into states further south, with a so-called "Code Red",&nbsp;the highest possible fire risk in Victoria,&nbsp;being declared in the state's northwest for the first time in a decade.</p>

<p>"What that means is that if we see fires in those areas they will be fast-moving, they will be unpredictable, they will be uncontrollable," emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters.</p>

<p>Country Fire Authority chief Steve Warrington told people living in rural areas to leave for the safety of cities.</p>

<p>"We are saying, 'do not be there, do not be there when a fire occurs, because you will not survive if you are there'," he said.</p>

<p>"There is a good chance if a fire occurs that your home will be destroyed."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-braces-for-heavy-winds-lightning-as-bushfire-threat-lingers-262193">The fire danger was also elevated</a> to "severe" in the island state of Tasmania off mainland Australia's southeastern coast, &nbsp;where a total fire ban was declared.</p>

<p>Two bushfires in the state's northeast did not pose an immediate threat to residents, the Tasmania Fire Service said.</p>

<p>For the second time in two days, smoke from bushfires blanketed Sydney, Australia's biggest city and home to more than five million people, sending air quality plummeting to hazardous levels.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Hazardous thick layer of bushfire smoke covers Sydney</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australia-hazardous-thick-layer-of-bushfire-smoke-covered-sydney-263107/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>More than 110 fires are still burning in worst-hit New South Wales and neighbouring Queensland, while in South Australia&nbsp;more than 40 fires broke out during catastrophic fire conditions Wednesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A South Australia Country Fire Service spokeswoman said all of those blazes had been brought under control or extinguished by Thursday, with the exception of a major fire on the Yorke Peninsula that had come perilously close to a small town.</p>

<p>Conditions were expected to ease in the coming days in South Australia, where the state capital Adelaide was also shrouded in bushfire smoke and residents were being told to stay indoors for health reasons.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lack-of-forecast-rains-to-prolong-australian-bushfires-threat-261992">Bushfire-prone Australia</a> has experienced a horror start to its fire season, which scientists say is beginning earlier and becoming more extreme as climate change pushes temperatures higher and saps moisture from the environment after months of severe drought.</p>

<p>Growing calls to curb fossil fuels and drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions are being ignored by the country's conservative government, which is eager to protect its lucrative mining industry.</p>

<p>The country is bracing for challenging fire conditions to continue throughout the Southern Hemisphere summer.</p>


The fire danger was elevated across wider swathes of southern Australia on Thursday, with residents warned to avoid at-risk areas as smoke from bushfires choked Sydney and other major cities.

The fire danger was elevated across wider swathes of southern Australia on Thursday, with residents warned to avoid at-risk areas as smoke from bushfires choked Sydney and other major cities. Devastating fires along the country's east coast have claimed six lives and destroyed more than 500 homes since mid-October, with climate change and unseasonably hot, dry conditions fuelling the unprecedented blazes. Now the fire danger has moved into states further south, with a so-called "Code Red", the highest possible fire risk in Victoria, being declared in the state's northwest for the first time in a decade. "What that means is that if we see fires in those areas they will be fast-moving, they will be unpredictable, they will be uncontrollable," emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters. Country Fire Authority chief Steve Warrington told people living in rural areas to leave for the safety of cities. "We are saying, 'do not be there, do not be there when a fire occurs, because you will not survive if you are there'," he said. "There is a good chance if a fire occurs that your home will be destroyed." The fire danger was also elevated to "severe" in the island state of Tasmania off mainland Australia's southeastern coast, where a total fire ban was declared. Two bushfires in the state's northeast did not pose an immediate threat to residents, the Tasmania Fire Service said. For the second time in two days, smoke from bushfires blanketed Sydney, Australia's biggest city and home to more than five million people, sending air quality plummeting to hazardous levels. Watch: Hazardous thick layer of bushfire smoke covers Sydney More than 110 fires are still burning in worst-hit New South Wales and neighbouring Queensland, while in South Australia more than 40 fires broke out during catastrophic fire conditions Wednesday. A South Australia Country Fire Service spokeswoman said all of those blazes had been brought under control or extinguished by Thursday, with the exception of a major fire on the Yorke Peninsula that had come perilously close to a small town. Conditions were expected to ease in the coming days in South Australia, where the state capital Adelaide was also shrouded in bushfire smoke and residents were being told to stay indoors for health reasons. Bushfire-prone Australia has experienced a horror start to its fire season, which scientists say is beginning earlier and becoming more extreme as climate change pushes temperatures higher and saps moisture from the environment after months of severe drought. Growing calls to curb fossil fuels and drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions are being ignored by the country's conservative government, which is eager to protect its lucrative mining industry. The country is bracing for challenging fire conditions to continue throughout the Southern Hemisphere summer.

Bushfire threat spreads, wreaks havoc in Australia as Sydney chokes

The United States on Monday effectively backed Israel's right to build Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank by abandoning its four-decade-old position that they were "inconsistent with international law," a stance that may make Israeli-Palestinian peace even more elusive.

Reversal of U.S. on it's long standing policy on Israeli settlements

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