Melbourne's air quality 'worst in the world', authorities issue health warnings
Melbourne: The air quality in Melbourne deteriorated to the "worst in the world" on Tuesday as smoke from the massive bushfires engulfed Australia's second biggest city with authorities issuing health warnings advising people to stay indoors and take precautionary measures.
The raging Australian bushfires, one of the worst in its history, has killed at least 26 people, burned over 10 million hectares of land, destroyed over 2,000 homes and pushed many species towards extinction.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast rains through the week, bringing some relief to the bushfire affected communities and the firefighters.
According to report in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), widespread rainfall is expected for the east coast of the country, including the firegrounds, starting Tuesday and lasting into the weekend.
Melbourne's air quality went down overnight to "hazardous" due to bushfire smoke as the smoke from Victoria state engulfed it. 16 fires were still burning and 1.4 million hectares have been destroyed across Victoria.
It is the second biggest city in Australia after Sydney with a population of over 4.2 million. "I think overnight for Melbourne it did reach the worst in the world," Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton said. Sutton said warmer temperatures would help lift "particulate matter" that had resulted in the poor air quality.
He warned that people might experience a worsening cough and a dry nose and throat.
"For those vulnerable groups - over 65s, under 15s, pregnant women and people with existing lung/heart disease or diabetes - we are saying avoid exposure to the smoke by staying indoors and limiting physical activity," he said.
While heart and respiratory patients were being told to keep safe, the healthy were being warned to stay inside.
The ABC report said several outdoor suburban swimming pools were shut down and horse races at Werribee suburb were also cancelled. Australian Open organisers also temporarily suspended qualifying matches and player practice sessions for Tuesday morning.
According to the Environmental Protection Authority's AirWatch website, the air quality in Melbourne was "very poor'' and visibility down to 900 metres in some parts of inner Melbourne on Tuesday.
The entire state was choking under a blanket of bushfire smoke, including Geelong town, the Latrobe Valley, Central Victoria, Gippsland and the North Central regions, considered to have "hazardous" air quality at 7 am (local time).
In Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD), the smoke was measured at "hazardous" levels between 12 am and 4 am (local time).
Sutton said people in East Gippsland and the state's north-east, where poor to hazardous air quality is likely to remain for some time, should try to let fresh air into their homes when possible.
"When conditions are good that's the time to open doors and windows to air your house, to get the smoke out and then when the air quality's poor, close doors and windows, stay inside, minimise your activity," he said.
The bushfires this summer season has destroyed over 10 million hectares of land across the country, while over 8.4 million hectares have been destroyed in North South Wales alone.
With 30 per cent of their habitat already been destroyed in the devastating bushfires, Koalas -- the herbivorous marsupial animal native to Australia -- have become a big focus for the Australian government.
The ongoing blaze is also believed to have killed approximately half of the Koala population in the Kangaroo Island, described as Australia's Galapagos Islands.
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Devine’s all-round brilliance trumps Nandini’s hat-trick as GG edge DC by 4 runs
Navi Mumbai (PTI): Nandini Sharma’s maiden hat-trick went in vain as Sophie Devine starred with a breathtaking 95 and a superb final over under pressure to steer Gujarat Giants to a thrilling four-run win off the last ball over Delhi Capitals in a Women’s Premier League match here on Sunday.
This was Gujarat Giants' second win on the trot, while DC slipped to their second loss.
Sent in to bat, Giants opener Devine smashed seven fours and eight sixes in her 42-ball knock, adding 94 runs for the opening wicket with Beth Mooney (19) to set the platform.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept the momentum going with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, but Nandini turned the tide with remarkable figures of 5 for 33, including a hat-trick, as Gujarat were bowled out for 209.
Chasing a stiff target, opener Lizelle Lee struck a scintillating 86 off 54 balls, studded with 12 fours and three sixes. She put on 41 runs with Shafali Verma (14) before adding 90 off 55 balls with Laura Wolvaardt (77 off 38) to keep Delhi firmly in the hunt.
Once Lee was dismissed by Kashvee Gautam (1/48) in the 15th over, Rajeshwari Gayakwad removed Chinelle Henry (7) to leave Delhi at 146 for three.
Needing 64 off the last 25 balls, skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (15) joined Wolvaardt as the pair plundered 58 runs in 23 balls to bring the equation down to seven off the final five deliveries.
Devine then returned to the spotlight, dismissing both batters and conceding just two runs in the final over to seal a dramatic win.
Earlier, Devine set the tone early, striking three fours off Chinelle Henry before taking Nandini apart with two fours and a six in the fourth over. She was particularly severe on Sneh Rana, hammering two fours and four successive sixes in an over that yielded 32 runs and powered Gujarat Giants to 80 without loss in the powerplay.
The New Zealander brought up her half-century in just 25 balls before Shree Charani broke the opening stand with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort in the ninth over to remove Mooney. Devine briefly regained control, hitting Charani for three sixes, but fell in the 11th over bowled by Nandini Sharma.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept Gujarat Giants on course with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, smashing four boundaries and three sixes to take the side past the 200-mark.
Jemimah Rodrigues pulled off a fine catch to dismiss Georgia Wareham (3), while Henry removed Gardner and Bharti Fulmali (3).
Nandini then capped a memorable outing by picking up four wickets in the final over, including three off the last three balls, to complete her maiden hat-trick.
