Rain has fallen in fire-ravaged parts of Australia and temperatures have dropped – but officials have warned that blazes will “take off” again.
Sooty rain fell down the east coast, from Sydney to Melbourne, with “torrential” rain reported in some parts of New South Wales (NSW).
But on Sunday night officials warned temperatures would rise by Thursday.
They also said huge fires in Victoria and New South Wales could meet to create a larger “mega blaze”.
“There is no room for complacency,” NSW state Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned on Monday.
“This morning it is all about recovery, making sure people who have been displaced have somewhere safe.”
Despite the respite, haze pollution remained dangerously high.
Victoria’s Bureau of Meteorology warned that visibility in Melbourne was less than 1km (0.62 miles) in many parts of the city and its surroundings.
