Air Quallity In Melbourne Suburbs Hits "Hazardous" Rating This Morning
The air quality in Melbourne's suburbs has dropped to the worst-rated level this morning, as smoke from bushfires in East Gippsland and the north-east continues to blanket the state. The pollution has forced pools to close, horseraces to be cancelled, construction workers to abandon outdoor work and even interrupted preparations for the Australian Open.
Data published on the Environment Protection Authority's (EPA) AirWatch website this morning showed air pollution levels were "hazardous" across Melbourne's suburbs, from Melton in the west to Dandenong in the south-east and Macleod in the north.
It also reached hazardous levels in the state's second-biggest city of Geelong for the second time in two weeks, while the same rating was given to towns in the firegrounds such as Omeo and Orbost.
EDIT
The Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) said it had been called out to 192 false alerts from fire alarms since 10:00pm yesterday, the majority of which were because of the smoke. Several outdoor suburban swimming pools have also closed this morning due to the smoky conditions and horse races at Werribee have been cancelled. Australian Open organisers have temporarily halted qualifying matches and player practice sessions this morning due to the pollution, as they consult with medical teams about the potential health risk to players.
Infographic: The picturesque beach at Dromana has been transformed by the smoke. (Supplied: Adam Richmond)
Infographic: The smoke affected visibility at Phillip Island. (Instagram: @phillipislandtourist)
EDIT
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-14/melbourne-air-quality-drops-to-hazardous-from-bushfire-smoke/11865178