4,000 trapped on Australia beach encircled by fire

In
Australia, 4,000 people are trapped on the foreshore of the encircled seaside
town of Mallacoota due to fire and smoke. Authorities said, fires are causing
extreme thunderstorms and ember attacks.

The most
dangerous fires were in the state of Victoria yesterday. About 30,000 residents
and tourists were urged to flee East Gippsland including Mallacoota- a popular
holiday region – but evacuations were later deemed too risky as fires
encroached on major roads. A volunteer firefighter died battling a blaze in the
state of New South Wales.

 Authorities said the volunteer was killed and
two others suffered burns after their truck rolled over in extreme winds while
they were battling a blaze east of the city of Albury.

In
Australia, scores of fires are burning out of control across amid a heatwave
that has seen temperatures exceed 40 degree Celsius in every state.

Meteorologists
say a climate system in the Indian Ocean, known as the dipole, is the main reason
behind the extreme heat in Australia.