Australia news live: Victoria braces for ‘catastrophic’ fire risk; Queensland on tropical cyclone watch

State warned to be prepared and to stay indoors as firefighters ready for action. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria’s Hume Highway was closed last night and regional trains were cancelled as firefighters from at least two states fought bushfires in the worst heatwave to descend on Australia since 2019-20.As Melbourne prepared for a forecast of 41C today the acting premier, Ben Carroll, described Victoria as “one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the world”. Continue reading...