SYDNEY, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Air quality warnings were issued on Monday morning for central Brisbane due to smoke from nearby bushfires after the east Australian city recorded its hottest September day since 2019.
The Department of the Environment in the state of Queensland said that air quality in Brisbane's CBD reached "very poor" levels in the early hours of Monday morning, with residents advised to avoid outdoor physical activity and to close windows and doors.
Authorities said the air quality in central Brisbane had improved to "poor" as of 8 a.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time, but that the city's southern suburbs remained at a "very poor" rating due to smoke from fires burning south and west of the city.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported there were 78 bushfires burning across southeast Queensland as of Sunday night amid hot and dry conditions, three of which were being closely monitored by the fire department.
The Queensland Fire Department said in an emergency warning that residents near a fire burning in the suburb of Ripley, 32 km southwest of central Brisbane, should stay informed about the changing situation and stay indoors if the smoke is thick.
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded a maximum temperature of 34.4 degrees Celsius in Brisbane on Sunday, marking the city's hottest September day since 2019. ■
