SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian emergency services were bracing against “potentially catastrophic” fire conditions on Saturday as firefighters battled nearly 50 blazes in the state of New South Wales, sweltering in a heat wave sweeping the country’s east coast.
Weather officials fear temperatures could hit 48 deg C in some areas, setting a record for the state’s hottest February day ever. People have been banned from setting fires, and some major sports events have been cancelled.
“It’s not just another summer’s day. This is as bad as it gets,” Mr Shane Fitzimmons, rural fire chief in the state, which was already battling 49 bush or grass fires by mid-afternoon, told reporters. “The catastrophic ratings are what we could describe as beyond the conventional scale.”
Thousands of people flocked to Sydney’s beaches to cool off, prompting warnings from lifeguards to stay close to shore and take precautions against the sun.
The extreme heat roiling out of Australia’s desert interior will also push temperatures in the north-eastern state of Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), home to the capital Canberra, to uncomfortable levels on the weekend.
Temperatures hit 47 deg C in parts of New South Wales and ACT on Friday, putting pressure on the electricity grid and prompting plans by authorities to suspend supply in some areas.