Temperatures cooled from record highs across much of southern Australia on Wednesday, reducing the danger from scores of wildfires that have blazed for days.
Australia recorded its hottest day on record on Monday with a nationwide average of 40.33 degrees Celsius, narrowly breaking a 1972 record of 40.17C .
The Bureau of Meteorology will calculate later on Wednesday whether Tuesday’s average was even hotter. With Wednesday’s cool-down, the national capital, Canberra, dropped from a high of 36C on Tuesday to 28C and Sydney dropped from 43C to 23C.
No deaths have been reported, although around 100 people haven’t been unaccounted for since last week when a fire destroyed around 90 homes in the Tasmanian town of Dunalley, east of the state capital of Hobart. On Wednesday, police spokeswoman Lisa Stingel said it’s likely most of those people simply haven’t checked in with officials.
“There are no reports of missing persons in circumstances that cause us to have grave fears for their safety at this time,” Tasmania Police Acting Commissioner Scott Tilyard said in a statement.