WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand were battered by fierce, hot winds on Wednesday (October 22), fanning wildfires and pushing up spring temperatures. In parts of Sydney, temperatures soared to 40 degrees Celsius.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said a powerful, hot air mass that accumulated inland on Tuesday (October 21) was moving across the southeast, bringing a spring heatwave. Winds gusting up to 100 kilometers per hour increased the risk of wildfires, forcing New South Wales to issue total fire bans in several areas.
As of Wednesday morning, 36 wildfires were burning in New South Wales, nine of which were uncontained. Nearly 2,000 homes were without power.
That afternoon, temperatures in Sydney's central business district soared above 37 degrees Celsius, with two western suburbs nearing 40 degrees Celsius, breaking October records.
In New Zealand, authorities issued a rare "red" wind warning, the highest level, for central and southern New Zealand. A state of emergency has been declared in the Canterbury region to better prepare for the severe weather. Earlier, New Zealand was hit by strong winds and heavy rain on Tuesday, resulting in one death and thousands of people losing power.
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Strong winds are fanning wildfires in Kaikoura on New Zealand's South Island and Hawke's Bay on its North Island, posing a challenge to firefighting efforts.
The New Zealand Meteorological Service predicts winds could reach 150 kilometers per hour on the east coast of the South Island on Thursday (23rd), with gusts reaching 140 kilometers per hour around the capital, Wellington. Authorities are urging people to stay indoors and prepare for possible power and communication outages.
