Residents and holidaymakers in part of the Australian state of Victoria were urged to leave on Sunday ahead of what is expected to be a day of extreme fire danger.
Authorities said temperatures of more than 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), strong winds, thunderstorms and a wind change moving across the state meant Monday would be one of the most significant fire weather days in Victoria’s history.
State Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp told both residents and tens of thousands of holidaymakers in the East Gippsland region to leave no later than Monday morning.
Earlier on Sunday, organizers of a music festival in the state canceled the event, citing the extreme weather expected on Monday.
The event was meant to run until New Year’s Eve and some 9,000 people were already camping on site when the announcement was made.
The state of New South Wales (NSW) is also facing severe fire conditions over coming days, with temperatures expecting to peak on Tuesday.
Via Reuters
