Australia wildfires: Tens of thousands of tourists urged to leave Victoria

Tens of thousands of holidaymakers have been urged to leave part of the Australian state of Victoria ahead of what is expected to be a day of extreme fire danger.

People living in the East Gippsland region have also been urged to leave the area after authorities warned that temperatures higher than 40C (104F) are set to hit on Monday, along with thunderstorms and strong winds.

It comes as the fire chief in Sydney, some 700km away in New South Wales, refused to rule out cancelling the city's New Year's Eve fireworks display due to fires raging there.

Around 46,000 people are reported to live in Victoria's East Gippsland region, which is popular with holidaymakers.

State Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp told people to leave no later than Monday morning.

He said at a news conference on Sunday: "What we are saying now, based on the conditions that will be confronting us tomorrow across the state, but in particular in East Gippsland, is that if you're holidaying in that part of the state, it's time that you left.

"We are asking you to now leave East Gippsland from that area east of Bairnsdale. You should not be there tomorrow and we want you to get out now."

The Falls Music and Arts Festival in Victoria was cancelled earlier on Sunday, with the organisers citing the extreme weather expected.

"After consultation with local and regional fire authorities and other emergency stakeholders, it is clear that we have no other option," they wrote on Facebook.

The event was meant to run until New Year's Eve and some 9,000 people were already camping on the site when the announcement was made.

New South Wales is also facing severe fire conditions over coming days, with temperatures expected to peak on Tuesday.

NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said: "We've got some deteriorating weather conditions over the coming days, particularly Monday and worsening through to Tuesday."

Speaking about Sydney's fireworks on 31 December, he said that if conditions are "too risky" they will not go ahead.

However, despite his concerns, Australia's prime minister Scott Morrison has insisted the fireworks will be on.

The federal government also said on Sunday it would compensate volunteer firefighters who have been grappling with the intensity of this year's bushfire season in New South Wales.

Mr Morrison said payments of up to AUS$6,000 (£3,200) would be available for eligible firefighters who had spent more than 10 days in the field.

He added: "As this is a very prolonged fire season, this is putting additional demands on our firefighters.

"It means that the turn-outs and the call-outs have been far more extensive than in previous years, going well and beyond and above what is normally expected of those who are engaged in volunteer service."

Mr Morrison had previously said compensation for volunteers was not a priority, but he has faced increasing political pressure as the widespread fires burn.

He also announced government workers could get additional paid leave for volunteering on Tuesday.

While there are different rules across Australia's states, volunteers tend to negotiate time off directly with their employer.

Bushfires have destroyed more than 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) in five states since September and eight deaths have been linked to the blazes.