Australia burns - the bushfires

Adelaide Hills bushfire: Dozens of homes feared lost in SA's most dangerous day since Ash Wednesday; Victoria fires downgraded

More than 800 firefighters from three states are battling the fire front in the Adelaide Hills this morning with almost 12,000 hectares destroyed.

Authorities are still trying to confirm how many homes have been destroyed as a massive fire burns uncontrolled on all fronts in the Adelaide Hills.

Meanwhile, all fire warnings in Victoria have been downgraded to advice level, as a cold front moves through the state

An aerial view of damage caused by the fires in South Australia. (Photo: ABC News 24) 

James Bennett

@James_L_Bennett

Remnants of one family's home destroyed in Adelaide hills. Damage Assmt teams busy counting losses today @ABCNews24 http://t.co/r6sPwTvtWt

Victorian weather: state swelters before the storm

the Age,

4 January, 2014

After two days of blistering heat, Victoria's high temperatures gave way to wind, hail and heavy rainfall.

Hopetoun airport reached 44.6 degrees yesterday – the highest temperature for the day – just before 3pm, while Walpeup climbed to 43.9 degrees at 2.56pm and Mildura reached 43.1 at 2.33pm.

Melbourne was at its hottest just after 3pm yesterday, when it reached 38.4 degrees.

Warrnambool and Horsham, already hit by rain, could be the first to face the damaging winds, hail and heavy rainfall brought on by the storm.

As Victoria sweltered, two children were found locked in cars, and paramedics treated 17 others for heat-related illnesses, Ambulance Victoria said.

Melburnians endured temperatures that topped the rest of the state on Friday night, with Ambulance Victoria receiving more than 20 calls to treat people with heat-related illnesses. The city hit a low of 28.6 degrees at 7am yesterday.

Melbourne's hottest night was in January 2010, when the mercury dipped