A heatwave in Australia has caused ongoing bushfires to intensify in some parts of the country.
Tourists were among the 30,000 people urged to evacuate the popular holiday region of East Gippsland in Victoria on Monday.
But authorities later said fleeing the area was unsafe because fires had obstructed major roads.
A volunteer firefighter was the latest person to die as a result of the fires, which have now claimed 10 lives since they began in September.
Temperatures reached 40C in every Australian state on Monday, with strong winds and thunderstorms in some regions exacerbating the spread of the bushfires, which have now destroyed at least four million hectares across five states.
Emergency fire warnings have also been issued for the states of South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania.
Meanwhile, more than a quarter of a million people have signed a petition to cancel the traditional New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney, New South Wales.
But authorities say the celebration at the city’s iconic harbour, which draws visitors from across the world and is viewed by millions, will go ahead as planned – adding that cancelling the event would have little practical effect on the communities affected by the bushfires.