Bushfire forces schools to close across Australia’s south

More than 100 schools in Australia’s southeast were closed on Wednesday and officials warned people in high-risk zones to be ready to evacuate as forecast high temperatures risked opening a new front in raging bushfires.

Australia has been battling wildfires across several fronts for several days, endangering thousands of people in many communities. Blazes so far this month have claimed at least four lives, burnt about 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of farmland and bush and destroyed more than 300 homes.

On Wednesday, attention shifted from the east coast to South Australia state, where officials lifted the fire danger warning to “catastrophic”, with temperatures poised to hit 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and strong winds also forecast.

Via Reuters

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