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Australian drought - Source: ONE News -
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Drought in Australia's main food growing region of the Murray-Darling river system continues, with water stores near record lows despite recent rains, the head of the government's oversight body for the system said on Wednesday.
"The immediate prospects are not good as only about 10 percent of Murray system inflows normally occur between February and May, and the latest rainfall outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology shows only neutral conditions across the Basin for the next three months," said Rob Freeman, chief executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Bush fires
More than 500 firefighters in Victoria are racing to contain a cluster of bushfires in remote parts of Victoria before weather conditions worsen later in the week.
Moderate temperatures and humidity had helped fire crews in their battle to get on top of several outbreaks in Gippsland and mountainous areas in the state's northeast, the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) said.
But temperatures are expected to rise again from Thursday, fanned by increasing winds and further lightning strikes and storm activity, DSE state duty officer Caroline Douglass said.
The 6,400-hectare Delburn Complex blaze has destroyed 30 houses and at least 79 sheds, five cars, a truck and a piggery near the towns of Boolarra, Yinnar and Mirboo North.
