Australia issues a new level of "catastrophic" fire warning

Officials in Australia have issued a new level of "catastrophic" fire warning for the first time, during a heatwave in the south of the country, the BBC reported today. The new level of warning, which urges people to evacuate, was created after wildfires killed 173 people in Victoria state earlier this year. Previously, people had the option of staying behind to fight the flames.

Tuesday's Catastrophic (Code Red) warning was issued after temperatures were forecast to exceed 40C. A November heatwave is unusual in the state, and several days of high temperatures have left the land extremely vulnerable to fire.

The need for this higher level of warning obviously points to increased frequency of unusually high temperatures and associatedwildfires in Australia, which contributes to the growing evidence for climate change. However, it also perhaps suggests increased government control of risk, removing the decision-making process from individuals.

Click here to read the full article at BBC News.