Sydney experienced an unusually intense burst of spring heat on September 5, prompting authorities to impose a total fire ban as strong winds and dry conditions increased the risk of bushfires.
Australia’s weather forecaster said temperatures in the country’s largest city, home to around 5.6 million people, were expected to reach 33°C (91.4°F), nearly 13°C above the September average, Reuters reports.
Temperatures at Sydney Airport had already reached 28.6°C (83.5°F) by 11:30 a.m. local time, more than 7°C above the average September maximum, according to forecaster data.
“Fresh to strong and gusty northwesterly winds developing during the morning, combined with dry, unseasonably warm conditions, will result in elevated fire dangers across the Greater Sydney Region today,” the forecaster said.
State fire authorities classified the fire danger in Sydney as “extreme”, the second-highest level, and banned the lighting of fires.
The heat comes as a powerful El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific is contributing to hotter and drier conditions across southern Australia during the September-November spring period.
Australia, a country highly vulnerable to bushfires, has also experienced increasingly frequent extreme heat and fire-weather conditions linked to climate change. In January, thousands of firefighters battled major bushfires in southeastern Australia that destroyed homes, disrupted power supplies and burned large areas of bushland.
By Sabina Mammadli
