The bushfires in Australia are creating violent weather systems that can spark new fires, conjure fire tornadoes and make fighting existing fires much more challenging, experts say.
Mike Fromm, a meteorologist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory who has researched these clouds extensively, said he likens the process to a volcanic eruption.
The Australian Department of Defence shows a fire in the distance seen from the Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Adelaide ship off the coast in Eden in New South Wales, as part of bushfire relief operations. Firefighters raced to quell massive bushfires in southeastern Australia on January 7, taking advantage of a brief drop in temperatures and some much-needed rainfall before another heatwave strikes later this week.
The volunteer-based firefighting agency warned its followers on Twitter that same day of a "fire-generated thunderstorm," describing it as "a very dangerous situation." "If that precipitation never occurs then you get nothing to slow it down or to reverse it and so all of that material that's going up goes up much more efficiently," he said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Firestorms: How Australia's bushfires created their own weatherThe fires have been raging in Australia since September while dozens of vast blazes continue to burn out of control across the east of the country.
Read more »
Rare and dangerous weather phenomena in Australia as wildfires rage'Intense and voracious” fires are interacting with the atmosphere and creating their own weather, including lightning, which can cause new wildfires.
Read more »
Australian fires hit key dairy regions, adding to woes from droughtBushfires across Australia's east coast are set to pile on more pain for th...
Read more »
Australian bushfires hit businesses, damage still being assessedAs Australia's deadly bushfires rage, many companies are reporting hits to ...
Read more »
https://people.comGet the latest news about celebrities, royals, music, TV, and real people. Find exclusive content, including photos and videos, on PEOPLE.com.
Read more »