A surge in coronavirus cases in Melbourne has forced the state of Victoria to impose a night curfew, tighten restrictions on people's movements and order most businesses to stop trading from Wednesday night.

The woman was snorkelling around Fitzroy Island on her day off filming.

The drone counted approximately 64,000 turtles congregating in a coral cay.

The dolphin pod is used to being visited by humans every day in Australia's Tin Can Bay.

The woman was rushed to hospital where she was unable to be resuscitated.

The contingent of Canadian wildfire specialists stationed in Queensland and New South Wales will reach 87 by Jan. 4.

Stephen Tulle, duty officer with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, says a group of 15 set out for Queensland Monday, while another group of 21 will fly out later in the week.

The weather bureau said temperatures in southern and central Australia on Thursday may reach between 8 and 16 degrees higher than normal.

Bushfires are a common and deadly threat in Australia’s hot, dry summers, a danger stoked by a sustained period dry weather across the country's east coast.

This is one of Australia's worst bushfire seasons and parts of the country are crippled by severe drought.