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NSW, Queensland under state of emergency over ‘catastrophic’ bush fires
Authorities in Queensland and New South Wales declared a state of emergency as the east of Australia braces for ‘catastrophic’ fires.
Three people have died and more than 150 homes were destroyed but things could get much worse over the next two days.
The Sydney metro region is under a catastrophic fire danger alert as 34-degree heat and strong winds whip up the fires.
"Tomorrow is about protecting life, protecting property and ensuring everybody is safe as possible," said NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
The NSW Rural Fire Service is urging people to evacuate now.
Bushfires are common during Australia’s dry summers, and there is little chance of much needed rainfall for weeks.
According to NSW Rural Fire Service spokesperson Anthony Clark the current forecast is ‘as bad as it gets.’
"There’s a lot of hard work ahead of us, but the simple message is we’re not going to get on top of those fires before these really bad conditions hit on Tuesday," Clark said.
There are about 60 bushfires raging at the moment as hundreds more fire fighters are shipped in from across the country.
Some flights out of Sydney were delayed or cancelled over the weekend. All travellers are being advised to check with their airline for updates.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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