There has been no let-up for Australia, the weather is capricious, unpredictable and extreme. With heavy rain in eastern and southern parts of Australia, and hailstones the size of golf balls dropping in parts of the state of Victoria, many of the bushfires have been dampened. But flooding could still happen. The authorities say some of the areas most stricken by the fires have not received as much rain as they would have liked but, for the first time for a long time, less than a hundred bushfires remain in South Eastern Australia.
What are the causes of bushfires in Australia?
The fires happen each year. During the Australian summer (which is happening right now, during our winter here) the weather gets very hot and dry – which makes it easy for blazes and fires to begin and spread rapidly.
Mostly natural causes, such as lightning strikes in drought-stricken forests, cause the fires. According to the state agency Victoria Emergency, lightning-caused many fires in the East Gippsland region in Victoria in December.
But humans can also be blamed in this case. According to a police statement in New South Wales, the police have charged 24 people for deliberately starting fires.
Currently, there are thousands of helpers involved in fighting the fires and not only firefighters but also army, navy and air force reservists and emergency personnel. There are also more than 240 firefighters from the US, Canada and New Zealand who have travelled to Australia to help tackle the fires.
All because of Climate Change?
Scientists and other experts believe that Climate Change also plays a role in the Australian Bushfires this season. Climate Change refers to a long-term change in the average temperatures and weather patterns.
There are other major factors that cause the Australian bushfires, such as the positive phase of the Indian Ocean dipole.
Climate scientist Wenju Cai, said that this positive phase occurs when the Indian Ocean is cooler, and the west is warmer than usual – the rain moves towards the western part of the Ocean. This means that in East Africa there are heavy rains and flooding which affect thousands of people. On the other side, there are drought and wildfires in Australia and Indonesia.
The current bushfires in Australia are this extreme because of record high temperatures, drought, deficient soil moisture in the air and also because of human negligence.
In future, towards the end of the century, climate experts say, bushfires with such a severe and dramatic impact could become more common, which goes to show how climate change is already and will be affecting our life on planet earth.
What can we personally do and change to prevent Climate Change?
Many people think, “What could I possibly do, one person would not change much anyway”, but if everyone changed their behaviour and kept the environment clean, many things could be achieved. For example, I am planting trees. It is a great way to help and enhance nature and put emphasis on reducing waste and recycling.
To Donate & Help Support Today – Australia Bushfire Emergency https://support.wwf.org.uk/australia-bushfires