Australia was already grappling with extreme heat and one of the worst droughts on record when devastating bushfires tore through the bone dry land.
For months, the infernos have raged through Australia’s southeast, leaving parts of the country choking under some of the worst air pollution in the world.
Since September, more than 18 million hectares (44 million acres) of bush, land and forest have been burned. At least 28 people have died, around 3,000 homes have been destroyed and about one billion animals could have been affected.
Heavy rain down the east coast this week has temporarily eased the crisis, but authorities warn the fire risk is not over — bushfire season typically ends in March. Only last week, Australia’s capital city of Canberra declared a state of emergency as bushfires moved rapidly in the area.
Scientists had warned for more than a decade that an extreme bushfire season was coming — and that the climate crisis was to blame.
While natural climate drivers created a perfect storm of hot and dry conditions this year, the sheer scale and intensity of the recent fires have led some experts to claim the world has now reached a turning point.
Source: Australia has been getting hotter and drier for decades. No one listened to the warnings
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