Bushfire rages in Perth as north Victoria floods

Australia is a country of flood and fire with just a week to go before Christmas, as parts of the country record well-below average temperatures.

As 100 firefighters battle an out-of-control blaze near Perth, parts of Victoria are bracing for serious flooding.

Meanwhile, parts of Australia are still shivering through below-average December temperatures, just one week before Christmas ruining many plans to enjoy the summer sun.

Victoria

Mildura and surrounding towns in the far north of the state are witnessing one of the worst floods in 70 years.

The Murray River has peaked in Mildura after months of warnings – and while not as high as expected – there are warnings the river won’t recede until January.

Further south, while Melbourne shivered through its coldest December morning since 2001 last week.

But it’s not expected to last long with temperatures expected to climb to 30C on Wednesday, before rain sets in days before Christmas.

The Murray River in Mildura has finally peaked after weeks of waiting.

WA

There are multiple bushfire warnings in place as 100 firefighters fight to bring multiple blazes around Perth under control, with warnings hot and dry conditions over coming days will exacerbate further fire risk.

An out-of-control bushfire in Perth’s southwest is threatening lives and homes, with an emergency warning active for parts of Henderson and Wattleup in Kwinana.

Nearby residents have been urged to evacuate.

Perth will continue to experience war temperatures for the remainder of the week.

NSW and ACT

Neither Sydney or Canberra have yet to record a 30-degree day this month.

Canberra plunged to its coldest December morning since 1992 last week, well below the average monthly temperature.

Usually, Canberra experiences more than seven above-30C days in December, but so far have recorded none.

It’s a similar story in Sydney, which has also yet to climb above 30C, with average maximum temperatures failing to exceed 25C.

The polar vortex and wind pattern responsible for the low temperatures should give way sometime during the week, but neither capitals are expected to hit 30C.

Originally published as Bushfire rages in Perth as north Victoria floods