February 10, 2020

Andrew Campbell 

Officials said torrent rain across the east coast of Australia in the past few days has extinguished a third of the bushfires already. The much-needed rains have swept across regions in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia and brought temporary relief for many farmers since February 6.

According to the official report, the bushfire crisis has killed 33 people and torched thousands of homes. Moreover, about 11 million hectares (1 hectare equals 10,000 square meters) of land have been in blaze since last September.

The weather forecast issued heavy rains to continue for another week. Meanwhile, authorities warned of flash flooding in Sydney and other cities along the coast of Australia. The bushfire season usually lasts until April. The heavy rains are truly needed to put out Australia's unprecedented fires.

Photo:Webshot.