Catastrophic alerts in South Australia and Victoria

Heat and winds are threatening to widen Australia’s bushfire crisis, with three states warned to expect their worst conditions of the season so far.

Soaring temperatures in South Australia prompted catastrophic alerts the highest danger rating on Wednesday.

Parts of Victoria have been issued the same warning for Thursday, while the threat in Tasmania is also increasing.

Six people have died since last month in massive bushfires which are burning elsewhere in the country.

Those blazes in New South Wales and Queensland have destroyed more than 500 houses and prompted debates on the impacts of drought and climate change.

Australia’s largest city, Sydney, was also blanketed by bushfire smoke on Tuesday, causing dozens of calls to paramedics for related health problems.