Rainfall drenches fire areas

SYDNEY: Much of Australia’s wildfireravaged east coast was drenched yesterday by the biggest rainfall in almost 20 years, dousing some of the most dangerous blazes and providing welcome relief to farmers battling extended drought.

The downpour came with its own risks — officials warned of flash floods and landslips across New South Wales — but was generally greeted jubilantly after months of devastating bushfires.

‘‘There’s lots of smiles around the place,’’ NSW Rural Fire Services (RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told reporters in Sydney.

‘‘It is breaking the back of this fire season, no doubt,’’ Fitzsimmons said. ‘‘The rain is good for business and farms as well as being really good for quenching some of these fires we’ve been dealing with for many, many months.’’

The deluge reduced the number of active fires in NSW by 20 in a single day, a success rate about which NSW RFS said it was ‘‘over the moon’’.

By afternoon, there were 40 active fires in NSW, fewer than half the number of blazes at the peak of the crisis, and all were burning at the lowest level danger warning of ‘‘advice’’ only. Neighbouring Victoria had 21 active fires, also at the lowest level.

The heavy rainfall across NSW and Victoria state yesterday was a welcome surprise after the Bureau of Meteorology’s threemonth forecast, issued in January, predicted continued high temperatures and little rainfall.

Sydney alone was expected to receive as much as 130mm in the 24 hours to this morning, the biggest oneday rainfall since February 5, 2002, data on the bureau’s website indicated yesterday.

Fitzsimmons said he was optimistic the continued rain over the coming days would help firefighters in NSW get the 17 blazes that were still categorised as ‘‘uncontained’’ under control.

About 3500km to the northwest, a tropical cyclone was barrelling towards the coast of Western Australia, where it was expected to make landfall today near Port Hedland, the world’s largest iron ore port.

Destructive wind gusts of up to 150kmh were expected to develop overnight as the cyclone approached the coast.Very destructive gusts of up to 230kmh were expected when Cyclone Damien hit today, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Authorities said Port Hedland would be cleared and the Dampier Port also closed. — AAP