19 Dec 2019

Australia fires: Sydney in thick smoke, bats dropping from sky

From Checkpoint, 5:23 pm on 19 December 2019

There are almost apocalyptic scenes in Australia, with Sydney shrouded in smoke, dead bats dropping from the sky, temperatures rocketing to record levels and more than 100 wildfires burning in New South Wales.

The state has declared its second state of state of emergency in two months as extreme heat and strong winds were expected to fan the fires.

Our correspondent in Sydney Jason Morrison has the latest.