Raging bushfires destroyed several homes and threatened others north of Sydney today as scorching temperatures and dry winds fanned fires across southeastern Australia.
Temperatures reached up to 44 degrees Celsius in some areas, and firefighters were battling scores of blazes, although authorities said cooler weather and rain had brought relief to South Australia and Victoria.
In New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, residents were evacuated from two small communities near Gosford, about 60km north of Sydney, where three homes and some vehicles were destroyed by flames more than 20 metres high.
Major roads leading north from Sydney, Australia's biggest city, were closed, disrupting holidaymakers. Serious fires and evacuations were reported in several other areas, and one man was airlifted to hospital with burns after a fire in western New South Wales.
Thousands of firefighters were put on high alert before the extreme weather conditions and a ban on lighting fires in the open was in effect across New South Wales, much of Victoria and South Australia.
