Australia fires force evacuations as country swelters

Out-of-control bushfires forced hundreds of residents and tourists to flee several towns in rural southeast Australia Sunday, as the country sweltered in extreme temperatures. People in four towns in Victoria State’s Gippsland, a region of national parks and wineries popular with tourists, were told to evacuate immediately while residents of three other towns and surrounding areas were warned to prepare to leave.

Further north in Sydney, temperatures reached 35.5 degrees Celsius -- the warmest October day since 2019.  October temperature records are usually set towards the end of the month, as the days get longer and Australia gets closer to summer. As global temperatures rise due to climate change, scientists have warned heatwaves and other extreme weather events will become more frequent and intense.