CANBERRA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A state of alert has been declared for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) on Thursday as the community is told to be prepared ahead of more extreme weather conditions in the coming days for bushfire risk.
According to the statement from the ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA), the state of alert is about preparedness and there is no immediate threat to the Territory and there are currently no grass or bushfires in the ACT.
"As a community we must all be prepared ahead of more extreme weather conditions that are forecast for the ACT and our surrounding region in the coming days," the statement said.
"The state of alert that has been put in place will ensure our emergency services are able to be as responsive as possible to any risks of bushfire in the coming days."
Mick Gentleman, minister for Police and Emergency Services from the ACT government, said the decision to take this action (a state of alert in the ACT) is as a formal precaution to ensure that "we can alert Canberrans about the risk that's occurring for the ACT into this near future."
"We see Saturday as a severe fire rating day. Winds will change. It will be incredibly hot on the day. And we don't see any rain before Saturday evening to ease conditions across the ACT," he said.
"So it's an important statement to make to urge Canberrans to be prepared, to ensure that you download your bushfire plan from the ESA website, talk to your family about whether you might need to evacuate at some point, and take some action in regard to that," he added.
Air pollution caused by bushfires in Australia continues in the capital Canberra in the New Year, when smog shrouded the city on both Wednesday and Thursday.
"Heavy smoke from bushfires burning in NSW (New South Wales) is currently impacting the ACT," said the ESA website.
Before the New Year, on Dec. 31 2019, ACT Emergency Services Agency Commissioner Georgeina Whelan declared a Total Fire Ban for the whole of the ACT for the duration of Jan. 1 2020.
Australia's capital city, Canberra had cancelled its planned New Year's Eve fireworks displays on account of bushfire risk.
