Canberra sources reported that heat and wind on Monday were fueling over 110 forest fires that have been burning for two weeks in Australia, where the authorities have also been alerted to a tropical cyclone off the coast. Meanwhile the Queensland Bureau of Meteorology has also issued a severe storm warning for the state. The bureau said "Damaging to destructive winds, large to giant hail and heavy rainfall are all possible. Storms may affect current fires burning in the area”.
Meanwhile at least one person has died from the fires in the state of Queensland, where more than 527,000 hectares have been razed. Accordingly one of the areas that most concerns firefighters is North Stradbroke island, near Queensland's capital Brisbane, where it is feared flames could jump to the nearby Russell and Macleay islands.
