Watch: Northern Australia seen burning in mapped animation amid raging wildfire crisis
Story highlights
Wildfire crisis in Australia: Authorities say that the current wildfire season is the most severe in decades.
In a striking visual representation of the ongoing wildfire crisis in Australia's Northern Territory, Earth observation scientist Robbi Bishop-Taylor from Geoscience Australia shared a timelapse animation of the crisis on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The animation illustrates the shocking extent of the fire-ravaged area that has been ablaze for the past two months.
The scale of the fires currently burning across northern Australia is pretty unfathomable.
— Dr Robbi Bishop-Taylor 🛰️🌎🌊 (@SatelliteSci) November 3, 2023
This animation visualises just the last two months of fire captured by #DEAHotspots - for context, the map covers an area larger than France, Spain and Germany combined... pic.twitter.com/YBkOQP5xCK
Wildfire crisis in Australia
Authorities say that the current wildfire season is the most severe in decades.
trending now
)
India state election results: PM Modi's BJP scores a sweeping 3/4 in crucial test before 2024 final
)
Indian PM Modi hails four-state election results as victory of 'politics of development'
)
Mizoram Assembly Elections 2023 Results Live Updates: BJP ally MNF confident of securing another term
)
CID star Dinesh Phadnis aka Fredericks is on ventilator support: Report
)
COP28 summit in Dubai makes breakthrough over renewable fuels but there is a catch
)
Telangana election results 2023: BRS concedes defeat, extends congratulations to Congress
)
Kyiv claims Russia shot down Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered
)
Ukraine’s former president alleges was blocked from leaving nation
)
Israel-Hamas war Day 58: Human toll surges, no diplomatic breakthrough since truce collapsed
)
As BJP roars in MP, Scindia fires back at Priyanka Gandhi over 'height' remark
)
Moon getting hydrogen from Solar winds, reveals study of Apollo samples
)
India’s Aadhaar put Japan far behind tech curve, Japanese ‘father of Internet’ admits
)
She was lecturing about women’s dignity ? Trisha gets slammed for calling Ranbir's Animal 'cult' film
)
Philippines earthquake: Tsunami waves of 40 cm reach Japan
)
New York stabbing attack: Four killed in Queens neighbourhood as police shoots suspect dead
So far it has engulfed a staggering 12.8 million hectares (31.6 million acres) of land in just a two-month period.
Also read | Australia: ‘Out of control’ fires prompt evacuations as country swelters in ‘scorching’ heat
As recently as the last week, the Queensland residents faced evacuation orders due to crisis posed by the raging wildfires.
Why wildfires continue to rage on?
The El Niño weather event triggers extreme phenomena such as wildfires.
Northern Australia has also experienced scorching temperatures, prompting severe heatwave warnings in certain areas.
The dry and warm conditions provide ideal circumstances for the ignition and rapid spread of fires.
The risk is further escalated by above-average rainfall earlier in the year, leading to increased vegetation that becomes potential fuel for the fires.
Also watch | From floods to fires: Australia's growing climate crisis
As the soil dries out under intense heat, the vegetation becomes highly flammable, intensifying the ease with which fires can ignite and spread across.
This combination of factors has created a perilous situation in northern parts of Australia, leading to a surge in fires, some suspected to be deliberately lit. The environmental and communal impact in the region has been devastating.
Fire season in Northern Hemisphere
The crisis in Australia follows a catastrophic fire season in the Northern Hemisphere, marked by record-breaking temperatures fueled by human-induced climate change.
As heatwaves swept across Asia, Europe, and North America, experts predict that 2023 may become the hottest year on record.
In Europe, wildfires emitted a staggering 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Italy faced an unprecedented heatwave while Greece went through a period of worst wildfire on record.
(With inputs from agencies)
)
