Haze blankets Sydney as bushfire threat rises

SYDNEY was shrouded in dangerous haze on Tuesday as smoke from bushfires blazing along Australia’s eastern seaboard sent pollution levels soaring in the country’s biggest city.

Official data showed that pollution had reached “hazardous” levels across Sydney, with the highest readings of PM 2.5 particulates in the city’s northwest reaching 186 parts per million on the air quality index – comparable to New Delhi – and residents warned to avoid outdoor exercise.

The usually blue skies of the harbour city turned a miserable grey, with world-famous landmarks the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge dulled against the skyline.

Although the smog had begun to ease under the midday sun, it would increase again on Tuesday evening, Austalia’s Bureau of Meteorology said.

“Sydney is also known as the ‘big smoke’ and is living up to the nickname today,” the weather forecaster tweeted.

New Sout h Wales state env i ronment a l he a lt h d i r e c t or R ic h a r d Broome sa id t he f i ne pa r t icles i n smoke could irritate t he respirator y system a nd aggravate ex ist ing lung and heart conditions.

“For most people, smoke causes mild symptoms like sore eyes, nose and throat,” he said.

“However, people with conditions like asthma, emphysema and angina are more likely to be sensitive to the health effects of smoke.”

Much of the smoke is being blown from a huge out-of-control bushfire burning across two national parks that is just 100km northwest of central Sydney at its closest point.

The blaze, which has been raging for several days, has already burnt through almost 140,000ha of bushland.

Si x people have been k i l led a nd hu nd reds of homes dest royed i n bushf i res across New Sout h Wales a nd Queensla nd si nce September, when an unusually early fire season began across drought-stricken regions in t he east of t he countr y.

Cooler weather brought some respite for firefighters in recent days, but higher temperatures, gusting winds and low humidity are expected to raise the bushfire threat again on Wednesday.

More t ha n 110 f ires a re cur rent ly burning across Austra lia’s east, wit h dozens of t he bla z es st i l l u nconta ined.

In South Australia state, a ban on lighting fires is in place ahead of predicted “catastrophic” fire danger on Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to soar to about 40 Celsius.

Bushfire-prone Austra lia has experienced a horror sta rt to its f ire season, which scientists say is beginning earlier and becoming more extreme as climate change pushes temperatures higher and saps moisture from the env ironment.

Grow i ng ca l ls to curb fossi l f uels a nd drast ica l ly cut g reen house gas emissions a re being ig nored by t he countr y’s conser vative government, which is eager to protect its lucrative mining industr y.