Australia declare state of emergency
A state of emergency has been declared in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) for the second time in two months, as firefighters battle nearly 100 active firesamid a record-breaking heat wave.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, head of the local government, declared the state of emergency on Thursday morning, as authorities warned of severe weather conditions that are expected to continue worsening.
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The fires have been burning for two months now, exacerbated by rising temperatures. Wednesday broke the record for the hottest day nationwide, with the average maximum temperature hitting 41.9 degrees Celsius (107.4 Fahrenheit).
That beat the previous record of 40.9 Celsius (105.6 Fahrenheit) — which had been set just the day before.
