Australia wildfires release enormous smoke plumes

Evacuations ramped up on Friday in Australia's southeast coast ahead of expected deterioriating conditions later in the week.

Temperatures are expected to rise above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the New South Wales South Coast and Victoria's East Gippsland by Saturday.

More than 200 fires were burning, causing large smoke plumes across the region which has blown across the Tasman Sea into New Zealand, where skies are hazy and glaciers have turned a deep caramel brown.

Warnings of extreme danger to come have also set in motion one of the largest evacuations in Australian history.

Thousands have already fled at-risk coastal areas, creating traffic gridlock in places, and firefighters escorted convoys of evacuees as fires threatened to close roads.

This week, at least 448 homes have been destroyed on the New South Wales southern coast and dozens were burned in Victoria.

Ten deaths have been confirmed in the two states this week, and Victoria authorities also say 28 people are missing.

The early and devastating start to Australia’s summer wildfires has made this season the worst on record.

About 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned, at least 19 people have been killed, and more than 1,400 homes have been destroyed.