Extreme heat and bushfire danger in Australia’s south-east over Christmas and Boxing days as Grampians fires rage. bushfire

In Victoria’s Grampians National Park, where more than 40 hectares of fire have been burning for several days, warnings to remain alert and take action are still in place and it is unsafe for people to return to Belfield, Halls Gap and surrounding areas.

Firefighters from several states are assisting their Victorian counterparts as they work to secure containment lines ahead of Boxing Day, which is expected to bring the worst conditions since the dark summer of 2019.

Residents of parts of Pomonal in the Grampians National Park were urged to leave immediately amid out-of-control bushfires on Wednesday afternoon. Relief centers were set up in Ararat and Stawell.

Jason Heffernan, chief officer of the Country Fire Authority, said, “There are two major concerns on Thursday – fires already burning across the landscape, and any new fires that start as a result of extreme fire risk.”

A complete fire ban has been declared across the state, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting temperatures above 40C and gusty winds of up to 80 km/hr and up to 100 km/hr in higher altitude areas.

With some residents evacuated from around the north of the park today, survivors are urged to monitor changing conditions and stay up to date with alerts to protect property.

“Those most at risk are elderly people, young children and people with medical conditions, although heat and heat-related illnesses can affect anyone,” Armstrong said.

Victorians have been urged to be prepared for outages with provider Ausnet warning there could be power outages to prevent bushfires starting on Thursday.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist, Dean Narramore, said hot, dry and windy conditions would increase extreme fire danger across parts of South Australia and Victoria on Wednesday and Thursday.

,[Conditions] “The fires are set to spiral out of control, especially in the Grampians and central parts of Victoria that are already burning,” he said.

“Boxing Day will be even hotter, with temperatures reaching into the 40s from parts of Queensland to western New South Wales and northern parts of Victoria.”

Victoria faces extreme fire danger in all but one region, leading to a total fire ban in the state on Boxing Day.

Highs in the 30s and lows were expected to reach the 40s in some suburbs on Christmas Day in Melbourne, reaching 40 before cooler air arrived around 8pm on Thursday.

Severe weather warnings for damaging wind gusts were in place across western and central parts of Victoria from Thursday morning, with gusts of up to 100 km/h expected across the Grampians and large parts of western Victoria including Mildura and Broken Hill .

Naramore warned that the strength of the winds would be enough to down trees and power lines, also increasing fire danger and fanning the blaze.

Meanwhile, South Australia is in one of the driest periods on record, Country Fire Service chief officer Brett Loughlin said, warning fires could spread rapidly.

“We need heat and wind to create conditions for a complete fire ban and a high-risk fire season,” Laughlin said.

State Premier Peter Malinauskas has urged people to enjoy the festive season, but to exercise understanding and caution if they are in wildfire areas.

A bushfire burning in the Grampians National Park in Victoria’s west was burning out of control on Wednesday, while another blaze in Bullingarook, northwest of Melbourne, has been brought under control.

The Grampians bushfire was moving north, although strong winds were pushing the smoke south.

Jason Heffernan, chief officer of the Country Fire Authority, warned that strong winds could make fighting the fire challenging.

“We didn’t see that winter rain. “We haven’t seen any spring rains, which has left forested areas exceptionally dry,” he said.

Naramore said a good change would come on Thursday night, with fire conditions concentrated over northern and eastern parts of New South Wales.