Australian Bushfires (update)

Magda Routová

Australia is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy and it is located in the Southern Hemisphere, that is why Australia´s summer lasts from December to February. This year´s summer in Australia will be remembered as a season of one of the worst bushfires that Australia has ever experienced. Starting September, there was a big drought in many parts of the country and that inevitably led to large bushfires.

The fires have burnt over 18.6 million hectares of Australia and destroyed more than 5,900 buildings (including approximately 2,500 homes). They have killed at least 34 people and it is estimated that almost half a billion animals were also killed. Big cities like Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, Adelaide or Canberra were among the threatened areas. Maybe the worst bushfire has burst out in New South Wales (NSW, one of the six states of Australia), where the fires have been unprecedented in their extent and intensity. They have burnt there almost 7 % of the state, including 2.7 million hectares of national parks.

Finally, by the middle of January, the monsoon season has come to the country. It has brought high moisture and most of the fires were stopped.  

Sources: bbc.com, news.com.au