Daylight in Australia’s capital territory has revealed the full extent of the firestorm that struck yesterday.
Media outlets report this morning that 2 people are dead, 3 more are missing, and around 400 homes have been destroyed.
Canberra is ringed by fires to the north, west and south as the disaster continues to unfold.
Hot, windy and dry weather conditions threaten the nation’s capital with more devastation this Sunday.
The Prime Minister, John Howard, who chose to live in Sydney following his election in 1996, is cutting short his holiday to return to Canberra. The Governor-General, Peter Hollingworth, is also returning.