A new Seasonal Bushfire Outlook this year has served as a strong reminder to grey nomads about how careful they will need to be as they travel in the months ahead.
The report from the Australian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) shows there will be an increased risk of bushfire in many regions of Australia during the spring season.
It says Australia’s climate influences have shifted significantly since last spring. Following above average rainfall experienced during consecutive La Niña years, the Bureau of Meteorology predicts a switch to higher chances of above average temperatures and below average rainfall for almost the entire country.
Recent rainfall means many regions have also seen increased fuel growth, elevating the bushfire risk further.
The AFAC's spring bushfire outlook is worrying. PIC: AFAC.
For spring 2023, increased risk of bushfire has been identified for large areas of the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales, as well as regions in Victoria and South Australia.
“The climate influences driving increased risk of bushfire this season are widespread,” said AFAC CEO, Rob Webb. “Almost the entire country can expect drier and warmer conditions than normal this spring, so it is important for Australians be alert to local risks of bushfire over the coming months, regardless of their location.’
He warned that fire was a regular part of the Australian landscape in spring, and said that wherever people travelled, it was vital they understood the risk and took the time to plan and prepare.
AFAC says that state and territory fire authorities will continue to monitor local conditions closely and undertake bushfire mitigation activities where possible.
“Fire potential can vary greatly, even at the smaller scale, between bordering states and territories,” it said. “Each state and territory’s assessment takes into account different land use types and vegetation types … this is influenced by different forecasts for temperature and rainfall over these regions.”
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I would like to know if it’s possible for our phones to automatically alert us when we are travelling into a bushfire alert region.
Telstra is very good at notifying us when we are in a region where work is being done on the local network. The messages just drop into message box.
Is this possible for bushfire alerts. Or are they still working on this?
More details are being released by the government in the next month. We all need to take note travel with full tanks of water and drinking water.
More scaremongering from a government, We’ve always had bushfires and we always will and some years are worse than others