What are Australia’s Emergency Warnings and Fire Danger Ratings and how should you respond?

Australia, a country prone to extreme weather-related hazards, has a new nationally standardised Fire Danger Rating System, and an Emergency Warning System to help communities and first respondents understand risks, prepare, and react to different emergencies. Here's what the severity levels mean and what you should do for each one.

Bushfire burning Source: AAP / (AAP Image/ Andrew Brownbill) NO ARCHIVING

In December 2019, Australia made headlines across the globe for the catastrophic bushfires that ravaged the country during the ‘Black Summer.

Weeks after the flames charred vast swathes of land, some of the same communities affected by fire flooded, as intense rainfall and storms caused river networks to overflow.