Severe Bushfires in Australia and Extreme Weather in US Pacific Northwest
More than 50 fires are currently burning across New South Wales, Australia, with Tasmania also under emergency due to severe bushfires. At least one person has died, and nine blazes remain out of control. Temperatures peaked at 41C in Koolewong, where fierce and erratic winds have aided the rapid spread of fires. Near Bulahdelah, a firefighter was killed when a tree fell on him; the blaze in this area burned approximately 3,500 hectares and destroyed four homes. In Tasmania, the Dolphin Sands fire covers about 700 hectares, having destroyed 19 homes and damaged at least 40 more. Authorities attribute the heightened bushfire risk to rising temperatures and accumulated vegetation, noting that past La Niña wet summers created dense growth that has since dried into volatile fuel due to recent dry conditions. This bushfire season is already labeled high risk, with many fearing it could be Australia's most dangerous summer since the 2019-20 Black Summer fires.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Washington state has issued evacuation orders for about 100,000 residents as an atmospheric river drenched the Pacific Northwest. The area experienced 24-hour rainfall totals between 120 and 205 mm, and the Skagit River is forecast to crest approximately 6 feet above its previous peak. Alaska experienced hurricane-force winds reaching up to 80 mph, leaving thousands without power. These winds were driven by a clash of weather systems and katabatic winds funneling cold air down from the Copper River basin into the Gulf of Alaska.
