Weather & Science

Australia Facing Elevated Risk of Wildfires as Summer Looms

  • Elevated risk to southwest Victoria, parts of NSW, report says
  • Black Summer in 2019-20 burnt an area about the size of the UK
A bushfire approaches homes on the outskirts of the town of Bargo,in Sydney, in 2019.Photographer: David Gray/Getty Images

Some of Australia’s key wine growing regions, along with vast tracts of grazing land and regional towns, are facing higher risks of wildfires this summer, according to a seasonal outlook.

Large areas of southwest Victoria, parts of New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia, which are used for wine production, agriculture, livestock and tourism could see significant fires, the report published by the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services on Thursday show.