Huge bushfires surround Sydney

About 100 bushfires are raging in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), with the most severe burning on the outskirts of Sydney.

More than 2,000 firefighters are battling massive blazes, which escalated in intensity on Thursday evening.

Footage of one blaze on the southern fringe of the city showed firefighters fleeing as the flames spread rapidly.

Australia's largest city has been blanketed by thick smoke all week.

Six people have been killed and more than 600 homes have been destroyed since fires broke out across Australia in October.

More than 1.6 million hectares of land in NSW have been burnt already. Fires have also raged across Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

The NSW capital has already reached number 19 on the Air Visual global rankings of cities with the worst air pollution - putting it ahead of Shanghai and Mumbai.

Bushfires are common in Australia, but the fire season this year has begun much earlier than usual - something meteorologists have said is exacerbated by climate change.

Agencies

 

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