An "exceptional heat wave" sweeps Australia in the worrying summer season

Australia witnessed exceptional weather conditions on Sunday, as large areas were affected by a strong heat wave, which prompted authorities to issue warnings about the possibility of forest fires in the vast western parts of the country.

The Meteorological Service issued warnings on Sunday about a heatwave sweeping across the state of Western Australia and neighboring northern regions, as well as the state of Queensland in the east. It has been warned that temperatures may reach about 45 degrees Celsius in some areas.

In the capital, Perth, which is Australia's largest state, a maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius is expected to be recorded on Sunday, exceeding the average temperature in December.

Eastern Australia is experiencing bushfires this month due to El Niño, which has caused unusually high temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, triggering extreme weather events, including heatwaves, cyclones and drought, and also causing bushfires.

Western Australia's emergency services agency reported there were more than 20 active bushfires on Sunday, including an out-of-control blaze near Pemberton, a town of about 5,000 people about 320 kilometers south of Perth.

A spokesman for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services confirmed that it is expected to be difficult to fight the fires in light of the hot and dry weather conditions, in addition to the strong winds that hit a large part of the state, including the capital, Perth.

In the same context, the administration warned of the increasing possibility of fires in many areas of Western Australia, as more than a thousand firefighters participated in fighting fires across the state during the previous five days.

On Australia's east coast, heavy rains triggered flood warnings and strong thunderstorms in parts of New South Wales, the country's most populous state, which includes the capital, Sydney.