Clouds bring brief respite for Sydney firefighters

Firefighters battling bush fires around the Australian city of Sydney have received a respite from the ferocity of the blazes after clouds gathered over the city for the first time in days.

The clouds have brought high humidity and cooler temperatures, but forecasters doubt they will produce the heavy rain needed to douse up to 100 wildfires which are stretching for more than 1,000km.

Firefighters have used the lull in the weather to build firebreaks and to ‘back burn’ large areas of land to remove fuel from the path of the fires.

Officials said the cool spell will only be temporary, with 38C temperatures and dry winds expected again within days.

Although firefighters have managed to contain some of the bush fires, a number are still burning out of control to the north, west and south of Sydney.

Large fires are raging in the Hawkesbury region, 40 miles north of the city, in the Blue Mountains, 50 miles to the west, and in the Shoalhaven district, 120 miles to the south.

Nobody has died in any of the fires, but thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes and about 170 houses have been destroyed.

The authorities believe almost half the fires were started deliberately and police have arrested 23 suspects, mainly teenagers and children, including a nine-year-old boy.