Rain relieves wildfire-ravaged Australia

Video. Rain relieves wildfire-ravaged Australia

Rain fell across parts of bushfire-ravaged eastern Australia on Thursday and more wet weather was forecast, giving some relief following months of catastrophic blazes fuelled by climate change.

Rain fell across parts of bushfire-ravaged eastern Australia on Thursday and more wet weather was forecast, giving some relief following months of catastrophic blazes fuelled by climate change.

The fires, unprecedented for Australia in terms of duration and intensity, have claimed 28 lives and killed an estimated billion animals.

Sustained hot weather and only very rare periods of light rain in the affected areas have deepened the crisis.

So authorities had been looking forward to this week's rain hoping it would help contain or even extinguish some fires.