Wildfires

Australia

A series of major wildfires are burning in the Australian state of New South Wales, with fears that hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Fire crews are still tackling the blazes on the outskirts of Sydney, despite temperatures and winds easing. One man has died while trying to protect his home.

Around 2,000 firefighters across the state worked to try and contain the more than 100 fires but many are still burning out of control. The fires have been caused by unseasonably hot temperatures and strong winds. While these have now died down, more hot weather is forecast next week.Some of the worst affected areas are in the Blue Mountains around 70km (45 miles) west of Sydney. "It's been an awful 24 hours for the Blue Mountains [region]. We've lost possibly scores of homes."