Published 20:00 IST, December 19th 2019
Snakes seek refuge in homes as Australian heatwave rage across country
A family in Queensland called the Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers after the spotted a snake inside their home as the temperatures soar in Australia due to fires
- World News
- 3 min read
As the temperatures soar in Australia, even the reptiles are seeking refuge in people's home to avoid the heatwave. A family in Queensland called the Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers after they spotted a snake inside their home on December 18. The snake catcher, Stuart McKenzie later found the reptile hiding behind a line of shoes laying 'flat on floor'. Reportedly, McKenzie identified the reptile as a yellow-faced Whip Snake after facing difficulty in recognising the animal amidst the shoes.
The snake-catcher also told an Australian media house that he had previously received a call from a woman in Woombye who also informed him about a small snake on her bathroom floor. Australia recorded its hottest day on December 17 with temperature hiked to 40.9 degrees Celcius. Mckenzie also said that he had rescued nearly three snakes since the country has been struck with extreme heatwaves.
The Southern town of the country was about to burn in temperatures as high as 50-degree Celsius. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said in a release this week that the temperatures in South Australia will being to rise and will continue to build in the coming days pushing east into Victoria and New South Wales over the course of the entire week.
Hottest places on Earth
Bureau meteorologist Sarah Scully told the media that severe to extreme heatwave conditions will be felt in many areas. It is important for people to follow the heath advisory, stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings from the Bureau and remember to check in on any vulnerable family and friends, he added.
Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicts that Oodnadatta, a South Australian town, is expected to record peak temperatures of 47 Celsius (116.6 Fahrenheit). With this, the town will become one of the hottest places on Earth, the BOM site mentioned.
Australia is battling hot weather which is fuelling fires that have destroyed many homes and taken a toll on the wildlife. New South Wales Fore Authorities have mentioned that there were a total of 100 fires that have been contained as of now but they keep on burning due to higher temperatures. Six people were burnt to death and about 680 homes destroyed and nearly 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) of bushland burnt as a result of the raging bushfires.
Updated 21:16 IST, December 19th 2019