Australia news live: Victoria braces for ‘catastrophic’ fire risk; Queensland on tropical cyclone watch | Australia news
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At Seymour disaster relief center in Victoria, the dark summer bushfires are a nightmarish memory for people still seeking shelter.
Cait Kelly went over to talk to some of the people taking shelter.
“We wanted to package what was valuable,” says one. “We have photos and documents, some of my needlework is framed, but what do you buy when you have a house full of things you want to keep? … We just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope.”
Hume Highway closed and regional trains canceled due to Victorian bushfires
Victoria’s Hume Highway was closed last night and regional trains canceled as firefighters from at least two states battled bushfires in the worst heatwave to hit Australia since 2019-20.
As Melbourne braces for 41C heat forecast today, acting premier Ben Carroll described Victoria as “one of the most bushfire-prone regions in the world”.
“There is also a risk of heat-related illness across the state tomorrow.”
The state health department has urged Victorians to “be prepared, stay hydrated, stay indoors as much as possible and make sure you check on loved ones”.
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I Martin Farrer with the best night stories and then Nick Visser will discuss the news issue.
Firefighters are bracing for catastrophic conditions in many parts of Victoria today after a week of scorching temperatures. There is a fire ban in place throughout the state, and parks and campgrounds are closed. There are also extreme fire danger ratings for much of South Australia and the New South Wales Riverina. More to come.
At the other end of the continent, the BoM predicts there is a 50/50 chance of a tropical cyclone crossing the Queensland coast this weekend. More on this subject soon.
