SYDNEY - Australian residents are bracing for the return of extreme fire conditions on Friday , as a report released on Thursday graphically revealed the unprecedented nature of the bush fire threat the country has been facing.
The bureau's annual climate statement showed that 2019 was the hottest and driest year that Australia has recorded. Temperatures across the country were 1.52 degrees Celsius above average and rainfall was 40 per cent lower than average. The bush fires have prompted fierce debate in Australia about the causes, particularly the role that climate change is playing.
The bureau's climate report confirms the trend that scientists in Australia have warned about for years: that the weather is becoming hotter and drier, and that this will increase the fire risk. "The precise contribution of climate change to an individual weather event is quite difficult to determine," he said.