Emergency warnings for bushfires have been issued across parts of Australia – with some locals being urged to take shelter indoors because it is now too late to evacuate.
Officials have said the state of Victoria has seen a “challenging day”. Temperatures were forecast to exceed (C) ********************************************************************************************************************************************** F) in Melbourne, and locals are being warned that there is “a long way to go” before conditions return to normal.
On Sunday, an estimated (************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************, 000 holidaymakers were urged to evacuate East Gippsland – a popular Australian tourist hotspot that is roughly half the size of Belgium and home to 45, people.
But Mayor John White to ld ABC News that many “a lot of holidaymakers” decided to ignore the warning and stay put, and there has been “no mass exodus” despite strongly worded pleas from officials.
Several emergency warnings have since been issued in the area, some of which are warning people to shelter in place because “they should not be on the roads”.
The Princes Highway – one of the busiest roads in the region – has been partially closed, and other parts of the highway are expected to be shut off to traffic soon.
Victoria’s state’s emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp is urging those in affected areas to read emergency warnings carefully because evacuation may remain an option in some cases.
More than 73 new fires have been reported in the state, and about of them remain active. Some of the latest blazes were caused by dry lightning.
Earlier, Mr Crisp warned: “This is a high-risk day for Victoria. This is a day we do not often see. Our state is Dry, it is going to be very hot, it is going to be very windy. People get out now, if you don’t, you’ve got to stay across the conditions and listen to those warnings during the day. “
The warm weather is rapidly heading into New South Wales, and temperatures are expected to spike on New Year’s Eve as hundreds of thousands of people gather on Sydney harbor to watch the fireworks.
Sydney has been smothered by smoke for weeks on end – and across New South Wales, almost 914 homes have been destroyed and 3.6 million hectares of land burnt since the bushfire season began.
NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said: “We’ve got some deteriorating weather conditions over the coming days, particularly Monday and worsening through to Tuesday.”
There were fears that the fireworks show would be cancelled – and although authorities are planning to push ahead, some local politicians are calling for the spectacle to be called off, warning “the risk is too high”.
On Sunday, the federal government said it will compensate volunteer firefighters who have been grappling with the intensity of this year bushfire season in New South Wales.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said payments of up to AUS $ 6, (£ 3,) would be available for eligible firefighters who had spent more than 10 days in the field.
He added: “As this is a very prolonged fire season, this is putting additional demands on our fire fighters.
“It means that the turnouts and the callouts have been far more extensive than in previous years, going well and beyond and above what is normally expected of those who are engaged in volunteer service.”
******************************************** ******** Bushfires devastate New South Wales
Mr Morrison had previously said compensation for volunteers was not a priority, but he has faced increasing political pressure as the widespread fires burn.
He also announced government workers could get additional paid leave for volunteering on Tuesday.
While there are different rules across Australia’s states, volunteers tend to negotiate time off directly with their employer.
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