Rain brings welcome relief to fire-ravaged Australia; but still warned of ‘mega blaze’

Sydney, January 6: In Australia, soothy rain in the east coast, from Sydney to Melbourne and cooler temperatures brought welcome relief to fire-ravaged communities today as the country’s embattled leader pledged £1 billion to help the disaster effort. 

 

 

 

However, officials have warned that temperatures would again rise by Thursday. They also said huge fires in Victoria and New South Wales could meet to create a larger mega blaze.

 

 

 

Despite the respite, haze pollution remained dangerously high. Victoria's Bureau of Meteorology warned that visibility in Melbourne was less than one km in many parts of the city and its surroundings. The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra was shut on Monday to mitigate any risk to the public, staff and works of art on display. The Australian National University in the capital is also closed.

  

The weekend saw some of the worst days of the crisis so far, with hundreds more properties destroyed. Rural towns and major cities saw red skies, falling ash and smoke that clogged the air. 

 

 

 

Australia's government on Monday said it was willing to pay “whatever it takes” to help communities recover from deadly wildfires that have ravaged the country.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government was committing an extra 2 billion Australian dollars ($1.4 billion) toward the recovery effort in addition to the tens of millions of dollars that have already been promised.