Australian bushfires have reached a new peak just two days into the official season, with temperatures soaring and winds gaining momentum.
Three out of control bush fires have swept through the Victoria region, one of which, located in Gippsland, tripled in size overnight.
The Rural Fire Service (RFS) confirmed 17,000 hectares of land has been burned and at least one home has been lost in the inferno. Residents were informed it was too late to evacuate and urged to instead to seek immediate shelter.
Rob Saunders, who lost his family home, told the Today Show the fire "came out of nowhere". The Gippsland local woke to the smell of smoke and grabbed his wife and pets moments before flames destroyed their home.
The situation was set to go from one extreme to another in the region tonight. Authorities issued a severe weather warning, with 150mm of rain predicted to fall in 24 hours that could potentially cause flash flooding tonight
In New South Wales, as of 12pm today, there were 98 fires ablaze across the state, with at least 18 not yet contained.
Around 1000 firefighters were deployed, but NSW RFS said conditions have proved too difficult for containment.
"We've got some really bad weather coming today, mid 30s, strong north westerly winds across a large part of the state," said Fire Commissioner Rob Rogers.
"Firefighters have been dealing with hundreds of fires everyday, mostly they get wrapped up, but unfortunately some of these fires just are difficult to contain and are in difficult areas."
In NSW, Sydney's Penrith suburb topped the temps today with 37°C, closely followed by Liverpool, Camden, and Richmond at 36°C.
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