By Christine Chen
SYDNEY, Jan 8 (Reuters) – Uncontrolled fires burned through bushland in Australia’s Victorian state on Thursday, forcing communities to evacuate and authorities to warn of a “catastrophic” fire danger rating for Friday.
Amid temperatures forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the state, two bushfires of more than 3,000 hectares in size were raging near the towns of Longwood and Walwa. They have destroyed at least two structures and are expected to continue to spread on Friday as heat and wind pick up.
Friday’s fire danger rating will be set at “catastrophic”, the highest level, and both fires pose a real risk of loss of life and property, authorities said.
“Tomorrow is a very, very dire bushfire day in the state of Victoria,” Country Fire Authority Chief Officer Jason Heffernan told a press conference.
Meteorologists have said conditions are on par with 2019, when bushfires destroyed wide swathes of southeastern Australia, killing 33 people, in what became known as the Black Summer.
Some 450 schools in Victoria are set to close on Friday.
For Thursday, total fire bans have been issued in several districts.
In New Zealand, the country’s weather provider, MetService, also warned of record warm temperatures over the weekend as the heatwave moves across the Tasman Sea.
It has issued heat alerts for parts of the eastern coast of New Zealand and the north of the South Island.
(Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Additional reporting by Lucy Craymer in Auckland; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
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