Hottest place on Earth
Sydney suburb hits 48.9C as firestorms rage out of control
Deaths from the bush fires raging uncontrollably across Australia rose to 26 yesterday, as Sydney was declared the hottest place on the planet.
The nationwide infernos are generating so much heat that they have begun to create their own storms, said fire chiefs. Temperatures in the Sydney suburb of Penrith hit a hellish 48.9C (120F) – the highest ever recorded in the country’s biggest city.
The capital Canberra was close behind, on 44C (111F), as fire tornadoes and lightning sparked yet more conflagrations all over the ravaged country.
Desperate firefighters warned that wind conditions are causing some of the biggest blazes to merge.
Two people were found dead in a car on Kangaroo Island near the southern city of Adelaide amid what of f icials called “a virtually unstoppable bush fire”.
Besides the 26 deaths since the wild fires started last September, dozens more people are unaccounted for. Millions of animals have also perished. Heroic teams battling to save lives and properties were warned last night that the worst conditions are still to come.
By yesterday evening the state of Victoria had 16 fires rated at the warning levels of emergency or evacuate. In New South Wales there were 12 blazes rated as emergency, while more than 100 others burned across all six states.
Several had recently started and others had broken containment lines. The Austral ian Capital Territory, which contains Canberra, issued a state of alert.
NSW rural fire service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said: “A number of very strong, large, intense blazes are coming together and creating some of these fire-generated thunderstorms.”
The state’s premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “We are in for a long night and are still to hit the worst of it. This is a very volatile situation.”
Austral ian prime minister Scott Morrison, who has been criticised for his response to the fires, yesterdayy called up 3000 Australian Defence Force reservists.
Three navy ships havee been deployed to rescue residents idents trapped on a beach since Monday.
The Australian navy has evacuated about 1000 tourists and residents who were trapped in the fire-ravaged town of Mallacoota on the Victoria coast.
Throughout Friday, landing anding vessels took people on two ships in what local MP Darren Chester called an “unprecedented mass relocation of civilians”.
The first of the evacuees reached safety yesterday after 20 hours aboard the ship.
Meanwhile, US singer Pink has donated $500,000 to local fire services in Australia.
She tweeted: “I am totally devastated watching what is happening in Australia right now with the horrific bushfires.
“I am pledging a donation of 500,000 dollars directly to the local fire services that are battling so hard on the frontlines. My heart goes out to our friends and family in Oz.”
Australian pop star Kylie Minogue tweeted: “Humbled by the extraordinary efforts of the emergency services and volunteers in the ongoing bushfire crisis in Australia.”
British actress Naomi Watts has described the fires as “truly horrendous” in a post on Instagram, in which she shared a video taken during her last visit to Byron in New South Wales.
Watts said: “It’s so upsetting and worrying. So much wildlife already lost. And still much of the summer ahead. My heart goes out to those who’ve lost loved ones and homes.
“Big gratitude to the brave f iremen who literal ly haven’t stopped during the holidays. Heartbroken for all the animals, plants and land. Pray for rain.”