Authorities Close Schools Following Catastrophic Fire Warnings in Victoria

Over 450 schools and parks closed across Victoria as authorities declared a catastrophic fire danger rating amid a record-breaking heatwave.Meteorologist Angus Hines warned that strengthening winds and dry lightning on Friday could create the most significant fire conditions since the 2019 Black Summer.The Bureau of Meteorology issued the alerts after temperatures peaked at 49 degrees Celsius in parts of Western Australia and 40.9 degrees in Melbourne.