Kincade Fire: The … The amount of land affected across the country - more than 10 million hectares - is now comparable to England's land area of 13 million hectares.Humans are sometimes to blame for starting the fires, but they are also often sparked by natural causes, such as lightning striking dry vegetation.Once fires have started, other areas are at risk, with embers blown by the wind causing blazes to spread to new areas. "The key culprit of our current and expected conditions is one of the strongest positive Indian Ocean dipole events on record," he says.
Three people - including one firefighter - have died as a result of the fires.
Although recent cooler conditions and rain have brought some respite, more than 50 fires are still burning in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. The latest: Firefighters in Los Angeles, Sonoma and San Bernardino counties are battling fires that have spread across the region. Fires are also thought to have destroyed up to a third of the vines that provide grapes for the Adelaide Hills wine industry.Canberra has seen some of the worst smoke pollution, with air quality rated the third worst of all major global cities on 3 January, according to Swiss-based group AirVisual.
Satellite images from 4 January showed the spread of smoke from fires in Victoria and NSW, which has affected air quality as far away as New Zealand.Although Australia has always had bushfires, this season has been worse than usual. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Although recent cooler conditions and rain have brought some respite, more than 50 fires are still burning in the states of New South Wales and Victoria.Hot and windy conditions are forecast to return to many parts of New South Wales this weekend and authorities in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) have declared a state of emergency as massive bushfires rage south of Canberra.At least 33 people have been killed - including four firefighters - and more than 11 million hectares (110,000 sq km or 27.2 million acres) of bush, forest and parks across Australia has burned.In the worst-hit state, New South Wales (NSW), fire has affected more than five million hectares, destroying more than 2,000 houses and forcing thousands to seek shelter elsewhere. See current wildfires and wildfire perimeters on the Fire, Weather & … An average maximum of 40.9C was recorded on 17 December, broken a day later by 41.9C, both beating 2013's record of 40.3C.By the end of the month every state had measured temperatures above 40C - including Tasmania, which is usually much cooler than the mainland.The main climate driver behind the heat has been a positive The difference between the two temperatures is currently the strongest in 60 years.As a result, there has been higher-than-average rainfall and floods in eastern Africa and droughts in south-east Asia and Australia.Andrew Watkins, head of long-range forecasts at the bureau, said the dipole was crucial to understanding the heatwave. Data shows that Australia has warmed overall by slightly more than one degree Celsius since 1910, with most of the heating occurring since 1950, the Bureau of Meteorology says. Australia broke its all-time temperature record twice in December. Bush fires themselves can also drive thunderstorms, increasing the risk of lightning strikes and further fires.The number of people killed as a result of the fires since September 2019 is higher than in recent years.Australia's deadliest bushfire disaster was "Black Saturday" in February 2009, when some 180 people died in Victoria. "And meteorologists warn that, for the moment, the intense weather and elevated fire risk in Australia is set to continue.
Firefighters in California have been batting numerous blazes nonstop, trying to save millions of people and homes from the flames.
Interactive real-time wildfire map for the United States, including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, and others.
This map is managed by the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and is updated with information on fires 100 acres or larger.
If there is a serious risk of fire reaching homes or properties, authorities urge people to leave in good time as fire can travel fast - faster than most people can run.Many Australians are asking that very question - but the science is complicated.Scientists have long warned that a hotter, drier climate will contribute to fires becoming more frequent and more intense.
Trump talked at a campaign event regarding the Golden State's recent fires and said years of leaves and broken trees are problematic.
Many parts of Australia have been in drought conditions, some for years, which has made it easier for the fires to spread and grow.
But the NSW Rural Fire Service says it expects most of the flames to spread south east.The State of Emergency declared in Canberra gives extra power and resources to fire authorities, allowing them to force evacuations if necessary.Victoria, where fires have burned 1.2 million hectares, extended a "state of disaster" for the worst-hit areas from 2 to 11 January.