Authorities warn of likely early start to Australian bushfire season

Authorities have warned of a likely early start to Australia's bushfire season following the warmest August in recorded history.

The Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC) – the national council of fire and emergency service authorities in Australia and New Zealand – on Wednesday released the official seasonal bushfire outlook for the spring of 2024.

It revealed that the state of Queensland and the Northern Territory in Australia's north as well as the southern states of Victoria and South Australia are facing an increased risk of fires during the season, which began on September 1 and runs through the end of November.

The outlook, which was compiled by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), said there is an increased likelihood of unusually high spring maximum temperatures across most of Australia.

In northern Australia, it said that the increased fire risk is driven by dry grasslands caused by dry winds in the winter and unseasonal rainfall earlier in the year that has led to increased fuel loads.

In the south, the outlook said rainfall was in the lowest 10 percent on record for the first half of 2024, causing an increase in dead and dry plant material.

Releasing the report, AFAC Chief Executive Rob Webb urged communities across Australia to prepare for fires.

"Fire and emergency services are prepared for the fire season ahead and are here today to encourage communities to do the same," he said in a speech at the AFAC annual conference in Sydney.

"Now is the time to make a plan. Understand your local risk, know where you will get your information, and talk to your family about what you will do."

The BoM on Monday confirmed that August was Australia's warmest on record, with the national average temperature for the month 3.03 degrees Celsius above the 1961-1990 long-term August average.

In its spring long-range forecast released late in August, the BoM said there was an increased likelihood of warmer-than-average temperatures in every Australian state and territory through the season. 

(Cover image via CFP)