Deluge in Australia puts out fires
■ Rain ends drought in some towns but has not fallen evenly
Wellington, Feb. 10: Drought, wildfires and now flooding have given Australia’s weather an almost Biblical feel this year. The good news is that a recent deluge in eastern parts of the country has drenched deadly fires and helped ease a crippling drought.
But experts say it will take some time yet to know to what extent the rainfall has replenished dried-up rivers and quenched parched soil in some inland areas most affected by the three-year drought.
Quentin Grafton, an economics professor and water expert at Australian National University in Canberra, said the rain had broken the drought in some towns but had not fallen evenly across all the affected areas.
“At this stage, it’s very good news, and certainly much more than people could have wished for or expected,” he said of the rainfall. “There are some very happy people.”
Fire authorities had a reason to celebrate, with many wildfires being extinguished or significantly dampened down by the rain. On Saturday, authorities declared the Currowan Fire south of Sydney was finally out after destroying more than 300 homes and razing 500,000 hectares over two-and-ahalf months.