Jacinta Allan says firefighters facing ‘another difficult day’
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said the state was facing “another difficult day”, with thousands of firefighters and emergency workers battling blazes right across the state.
She said there were 32 active fires burning on Sunday morning, with 14 emergency warnings in place.
Take the advice to leave when you are told to do so.
Stay safe, and support our firefighters.
Providing food and fodder for livestock that have survived the fire was a “priority matter”, she said, with active fires continuing to restrict safe road access.
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Updated at 17.09 EST
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In New South Wales, emergency warnings have been issued for areas on the border with Victoria as the Walwa fire has spilled across state lines.
Residents of Nariel Valley, Cudgewa, Corryong, Towong, Thowgla Valley, Biggara and surrounds have been told to take shelter now.
Residents of Mitta Valley including Tallandoon, Eksdale, Mitta mitta, Dartmouth and surrounds have been told to leave immediately.
Residents of Tallangatta Valley, Bulioh, Koetong, Shelley, Berrignama, Lucyvale and surrounds have been told to take shelter now.
Residents of Granya, Bungil, Burrowye, Walwa and surrounds have been told to leave immediately.
Fires have started on Murray River Road at Talmalmo but no immediate action needs to be taken.
A watch and act notice has been issued for Georges Creek, Jarvis Creek, Bethanga, Old Tallangatta, Noorongong, Tallangatta and surrounds. Residents are advised to monitor conditions as they are changing.
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Tropical Cyclone Koji crosses the coast between Ayr and Bowen
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore said Tropical Cyclone Koji was crossing the coast “right now” between Ayr and Bowen, and was expected to move inland quickly.
Most of the heaviest rain was occurring south of Ayr and inland. Falls exceeding 300mm were recorded around the Clarke Range since 9am Saturday, with widespread falls of 100 to 200mm.
That’s bringing strong to locally damaging winds and also widespread heavy rainfall, that is going to lead to widespread flooding in the coming days.
There’s already a lot of flooding occurring through parts of Queensland, so this rainfall isn’t good news for those flood-affected areas.
Wind gusts of around 110km/h have been recorded at Hamilton Island.
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Updated at 18.37 EST
North Queensland ‘well prepared’ for cyclone, says premier
The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, said north Queensland was “well prepared” for Tropical Cyclone Koji, which was expected to make landfall near Ayr this morning.
He asked people to know the risks and look out for their neighbours, particularly as more heavy rain on sodden ground brought the potential for flash and riverine flooding.
Premier David Crisafulli Photograph: Darren England/AAPShare
Updated at 18.37 EST
Harcourt residents told not to drink tap water
Residents of Harcourt in Victoria have been told not to drink tap water due to the risk of contamination, by water corporation Coliban Water, which was unable to access a burst water main due to the fires.
We are asking all residents to not drink tap water until further notice.
The “do not drink” advice covered drinking, food preparation, preparing baby formula, brushing teeth or making ice.
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Updated at 18.11 EST
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Chris Bowen will lobby petrostates on fossil fuel phaseout
Chris Bowen wants to use his stint as the world’s chief climate negotiator to lobby Saudi Arabia and others to stop resisting progress at UN summits, heeding calls for a “hard-nosed” approach in dealing with big emitters obstructing the transition.
Appointed “president of negotiations” for Cop31 under the deal that handed Turkey hosting rights for the conference, Australia’s climate change and energy minister has told Guardian Australia a focus ahead of the summit would be talking to countries “with whom we don’t traditionally agree”.
Bowen mentioned Saudi Arabia, the oil-rich Gulf state accused of repeatedly obstructing efforts at UN summits to accelerate the phaseout of fossil fuels.
“We won’t get anywhere if we just have a jamboree of the willing,” Bowen said.
Read more:
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Updated at 18.07 EST
Weather forecast for Sunday
Here’s the capital city forecast on Sunday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology:
Sydney: showers increasing, maximum 26C.
Melbourne: possible morning shower, maximum 20C.
Brisbane: partly cloudy, maximum 31C.
Perth: sunny, maximum 35C.
Adelaide: cloud clearing, maximum 26C.
Canberra: partly cloudy, maximum 27C.
Hobart: cloudy, maximum 21C.
Darwin: showers, storm, maximum 32C.
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Updated at 18.08 EST
Widespread ‘poor’ air quality forecasts across Victoria
Statewide air quality advice has been issued for Victoria urging people to stay indoors due to smoke and ash from multiple bush and grassfires.
People could expect to see or smell smoke on Sunday, which may drift far from the fires.
The advice from VicEmergency said:
Your nose is an excellent smoke detector. If you can smell smoke, take the necessary precautions to protect your health.
People more sensitive to smoke are those with a heart or lung condition, including asthma; people over the age of 65 years; infants and children; and pregnant women.
If you are sensitive to smoke, limit prolonged or heavy physical activity. Where possible, try to stay indoors.
Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority has forecast widespread “poor” air quality, with “very poor” quality observed between 7am and 8am at stations in Bendigo, Bright and Mount Clear.
Smoke fills the air in Longwood on Friday, 9 January. Photograph: Michael Currie/AAPShare
Updated at 18.27 EST
Cyclone Koji bearing down on north Queensland coast
Tropical Cyclone Koji will cross the north Queensland coast this morning, bringing heavy rain and damaging winds.
Koji is expected to make landfall as a category-one cyclone, crossing between Ayr and Bowen about 200km south of Townsville.
The cyclone has sustained winds of 75km/h near the centre, with wind gusts up to 100km/h. A wind gust of 106 km/h was recorded at Hamilton Island this morning.
Heavy to locally intense rain associated with cyclone could lead to flash flooding, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, which has issued major flood warnings for the Flinders, Cloncurry, Georgina, Herbert, Haughton, and Pioneer rivers. Six-hourly rainfall totals up to 150mm were likely.
The BoM has issued a severe weather warning for the north Queensland coast – stretching from Townsville to St Lawrence and extending inland – for heavy, locally intense rain and damaging winds, with the potential for gusts up to 100km/h.
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Updated at 17.14 EST
Jacinta Allan says firefighters facing ‘another difficult day’
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said the state was facing “another difficult day”, with thousands of firefighters and emergency workers battling blazes right across the state.
She said there were 32 active fires burning on Sunday morning, with 14 emergency warnings in place.
Take the advice to leave when you are told to do so.
Stay safe, and support our firefighters.
Providing food and fodder for livestock that have survived the fire was a “priority matter”, she said, with active fires continuing to restrict safe road access.
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Updated at 17.09 EST
Emergency-level bushfires burn across Victoria
Bushfires continue to burn across Victoria, as firefighters battle blazes that could rage for “weeks”.
Bushfires east of Carlisle river, west of Walwa and at Longwood continue to burn out of control.
At least 14 emergency warnings have been issued for bushfires across the state urging residents to “leave immediately” or “take shelter now”, according to VicEmergency.
About 60 bushfire warnings are in place across the state.
About 130 structures have been destroyed by fires, and more than 300,000 hectares of bushland burned.
A statewide total fire ban remains in place.
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Updated at 17.08 EST
Good morning
Welcome to the Guardian’s Sunday live blog.
We’ll continue to bring you the latest on the extreme weather around the country, with Victoria residents given fresh orders to leave immediately as bushfires burn across the state, tropical cyclone Koji bearing down on north Queensland, and severe heatwaves lingering across parts of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Canberra and New South Wales.
I’m Petra Stock and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
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Updated at 17.15 EST
