Latest news with #fireServices
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Hotter and wetter winter on the cards for Australia as SA and Victoria face unseasonal fire risk
Australia's winter will be warmer and wetter this year, with higher than average day and nighttime temperatures, and above-average rainfall likely in central and interior parts of the country. The Bureau of Meteorology's long-range forecast said parts of the tropical north, south-east and south-west could expect typical winter rainfall, including coastal areas of New South Wales affected by May floods, and parts of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania where there have been prolonged dry conditions. Typical rainfall means a roughly equal chance of above, below or near-average rainfall. Areas of SA and Victoria where there has been record low rainfall also face unseasonal increased risk of fires this winter, according to Australia's fire and emergency services. The forecast follows a much wetter than average autumn for northern and eastern Australia, and a much drier one in the south. The BoM will release more detailed data in coming days but said Victoria had recorded its warmest autumn on record, NSW its second-warmest, and SA and Western Australia their third-warmest. A preliminary autumn summary said the season had been warmer than average generally, with daytime temperatures in the south and west 'very much above average'. The bureau said the above average temperatures would continue through winter, with warmer than usual minimum and maximums likely or very likely in every state and territory. 'We've pretty much got a very high chance of above average day and nighttime temperatures across the country,' senior climatologist Simon Grainger said. 'It's occurring against the background of a warmer climate globally but also we're seeing, across southern Australia in particular, persistent high pressure systems.' Grainger said those systems caused a buildup of warmer conditions and meant a decreased chance of cold fronts pushing into Australia, to bring colder air from further south. The Australian and New Zealand Council for fire and emergency services (AFAC) said the unseasonable bushfire risk potential for southern areas was driven in part by significant and persistent dry conditions. The council said there was an abundance of dry material in both grass and forest vegetation in Victoria, and southern scrub and forest areas of SA. But the council said drought conditions had reduced fire risk in pasture and crop landscapes. 'We don't normally think of winter and bushfire together in southern Australia. The prolonged drought conditions mean that communities across parts of Victoria and South Australia may see more activity than normal for this time of the year,' AFAC chief executive Rob Webb said. 'Fire authorities will monitor the landscape conditions and climate influences closely this season to manage bushfire risk and identify opportunities for mitigation activities such as planned burning.' AFAC said while long-term lack of rainfall had persisted in the south, tropical cyclone activity had continued beyond the typical end of the northern wet season, into May. The council said the higher than average pressure over the south that had contributed to the prolonged dry conditions there was consistent with longterm trends attributable to climate change. They said warmer than average sea surface temperatures were also persisting around much of the Australian coastline, leading to increased moisture and energy that could enhance the severity of storms and weather systems.
CNN
18-05-2025
- CNN
Building fire kills 17, injures others in southern India
At least 17 people were killed and several injured in a fire that broke out at a building near the historic Charminar monument in Hyderabad city, southern India, officials said Sunday. Several people were found unconscious and rushed to various hospitals, according to local media. They said the building housed a jewelry store at ground level and residential space above. 'The accident happened due to a short circuit and many people have died,' federal minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader G Kishan Reddy told reporters at the site of the accident. Director general of Telangana fire services Y Nagi Reddy told reporters that 21 people were in the three-story building when the fire started on the ground floor early on Sunday. 'Seventeen people, who were shifted to the hospital in an unconscious state, could not survive. The staircase was very narrow, which made escape difficult. There was only one exit, and the fire had blocked it,' he said. The fire was brought under control. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced financial compensation for the victims' families and said in a post on X that he was 'deeply anguished by the loss of lives.' Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents.
CTV News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Building fire kills 17, injures others in southern India
An ambulance and a fire engine wait outside a building which caught fire near the Charminar area in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.) HYDERABAD, India — At least 17 people were killed and several injured in a fire that broke out at a building near the historic Charminar monument in southern Hyderabad city, officials said Sunday. Several people were found unconscious and rushed to various hospitals, according to local media. They said the building housed a jewelry store at ground level and residential space above. 'The accident happened due to a short circuit and many people have died,' federal minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader G Kishan Reddy told reporters at the site of the accident. Director general of Telangana fire services Y Nagi Reddy told reporters that 21 people were in the three-story building when the fire started on the ground floor early on Sunday. '17 people, who were shifted to the hospital in an unconscious state, could not survive. The staircase was very narrow, which made escape difficult. There was only one exit, and the fire had blocked it,' he said. The fire was brought under control. Prime minister Narendra Modi announced financial compensation for the victims' families and said in a post on X that he was 'deeply anguished by the loss of lives.' Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents. The Associated Press
