Australia bushfires: Sydney area faces 'catastrophic' threat

Image copyright AFP

Image caption The fires have also destroyed homes and property

Australia has warned of a "catastrophic" bushfire threat to the areas around Sydney, its largest city, as blazes rage across two states.

At least three people are dead and thousands have been displaced by three days of bushfire emergencies.
The states of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland have each declared a state of emergency.
More than 120 bushfires are burning across the two states.
Residents in vulnerable communities are being urged to leave and seek shelter in evacuation centres.

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Australia's conservative government has refused to be drawn on whether climate change could have contributed to the fires, in a response that has drawn criticism.
"My only thoughts today are with those who have lost their lives and their families," said Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday.

What is the threat to the Sydney area?

NSW fire authorities have issued the maximum level of warning for the first time since new fire warnings were introduced a decade ago.
The "catastrophic" warning is in place across the dense Sydney metropolitan area and regions to the city's north.
The fires are spanning a 1,000km (620 miles) stretch from Sydney to the Gold Coast near Brisbane.

Temperatures are expected to reach 37C by Tuesday. Conditions are expected to be worse than on Friday, when the firestorms began tearing through eastern Australia.
"Under these conditions, these fires will spread quickly and threaten homes and lives," NSW Rural Fire Service said in a statement.
Dozens of schools and other public facilities have been shut across the state. Firefighters from New Zealand have been flown in to help as weary emergency crews prepare for a fresh onslaught.