Politics

Melbourne Residents Warned To Stay Inside Due To The “Worst Air Quality In The World”

Air pollution was at hazardous levels across the city due to thick bushfire smoke.

by Rachael Conaghan  14 January 2020
Melbourne smoke

Want more Junkee in your life? Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook so you always know where to find us.

Melbourne reportedly had the worst air quality in the world today, a title that has also been bestowed on Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra in the last few months.

Air pollution was at hazardous levels across the city due to thick bushfire smoke, and people are being told not to go outside.

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton said he believed Melbourne’s air quality had dropped to “the worst in the world”.

Between midnight and 4am Victoria’s Environmental Protection Authority recorded hazardous levels of air pollution, which has since improved slightly — if you can call it that — to very poor.

Melburnians took to Twitter to share photos of the thick smoke, but also to prove they haven’t lost their sense of humour.

Between 10pm last night and 7am this morning fire brigades were called out to almost 200 false alarms triggered by the smoke.

Tradies have been told to halt any outdoor construction work.

The hazardous air quality also coincided with the start of the Australian Open qualifiers, with the first round of matches delayed.

With the bushfires expected to burn for several more weeks — if not months — don’t expect this to be the last time we see our cities blanketed in smoke.

Photo credit Phil Maude / Twitter