A number of towns in Australia are making preparations for flooding just a few hours after being threatened by fire.
This week, bushfires have been reported in the Gippsland region of Victoria and the South Coast of New South Wales. Both of these regions were severely affected by the Black Summer bushfires that occurred in Australia four years ago.
The rain that has fallen recently has provided some relief, but it has also caused flood warnings to be issued.
In recent years, the nation has been hit by one catastrophic event after another as it struggles to cope with repercussions of climate change.
When asked about the issue on Wednesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that “one of the reasons why my government… [is] determined to act on climate change” (This is one of the reasons why my government is determined to act on climate change).
As Australia approaches what authorities anticipate will be its most deadly fire season in years, dozens of fires have been reported burning around the country.
Hundreds of firemen have spent several days battling two significant fires in the rural region of Gippsland, which is located in the south-east corner of the state of Victoria. These fires have caused evacuations and have destroyed at least one property.
The flames have destroyed over 25,000 hectares (250 square kilometers) of land throughout both states, which is an area that is approximately five times the size of Manhattan Island.
However, a big cold front is expected to deliver heavy rain to the south-eastern region of Australia on Wednesday. As a result, the local authorities have issued a warning to prepare for the possibility of flash and riverine flooding.
The towns in the Gippsland region that were in danger of being consumed by flames are now in danger of being shut off by flood waters.
Tim Wiebusch, the chief officer of Victoria’s State Emergency Services, issued a warning to the city’s citizens on Tuesday, urging them not to attempt to drive through the flash flood waters. “Do not attempt to drive through those flash flood waters, it may be the last decision you make,” Wiebusch said.
The fire grounds in New South Wales have gotten some rain, but the greatest risk of flooding is in the interior of the state. In other parts of the state, the high risk of wildfires persists, and total fire bans have been issued in several locations as a result of circumstances that are extremely hot, dry, and windy.
In recent years, Australian towns have been hit by a string of natural disasters, including severe drought and unprecedented bushfires, consecutive years of record-breaking floods, and six instances of mass bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.
The most recent assessment from UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that issued a warning that if immediate action is not taken to stop climate change, a future full of disasters that are getting worse is likely.
