Bushfire alert as mercury soars

Bushfire alert as mercury soars - National - smh.com.au

Firefighters are bracing for a black Christmas as searing temperatures threaten to combine with low humidity and high winds to fan major bushfires across much of eastern Australia.

Extreme fire danger is current nationwide, with total bans in Victoria and NSW as temperatures soar towards 40 degrees Celsius in tinderbox conditions.

Sydney and Brisbane are forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius tomorrow, while Melbourne is expecting 36.