A stark image taken by a fire service official has laid bare the extent to which wildfires have devastated Australia’s landscapes and the wildlife they once hosted.

The charred remains of trees dominate the photograph as far as the eye can see in the formerly lush valleys in East Gippsland, a region home to koalas, kangaroos and wombats.

The picture, taken by Dion Hooper of Victoria’s forest fire management service, goes some way to illustrating the aftermath of national bushfires estimated to have killed a billion animals, incinerated thousands of homes and left at least 32 people dead.

A deluge of rain provided a brief respite for firefighters tackling the infernos, which have raged since October, more than halving the number of blazes in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and Queensland.

But meteorologists warned on Monday that this was likely to change in the coming days, forecasting a return to scorching weather that would raise the risk of blazes spreading once again.

Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Show all 20 1 /20 Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed A child running towards a dust storm in Mullengudgery in New South Wales Marcia Macmillan/AFP Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Wind gusts of 66 mph were recorded as a dust storm descended over Dubbo. Storms hit many parts of Australia's western New South Wales Ian Harris via AP Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Hail covers vehicles in an intersection in Canberra. As well as dust storms, hail and flash floods have battered beleaguered Australian cities as extreme weather has diminished the threat from scores of wildfires that continue to blaze across the country's southeast Australia Institute via AP Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed A dust cloud billows over a street in Dubbo Ian Harris via AP Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed A man holds golf ball-size hail outside Parliament House after a severe hail storm hit Canberra EPA Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed A koala holding on to a tree before it was moved to a dryer enclosure during a flash-flood at the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby Australian Reptile Park/EPA Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Bushland is seen burnt by fire as rain pools in large puddles at Bilpin, in the Blue Mountains AAP Image/Reuters Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed A staff member carrying koalas during a flash flood at the Australian Reptile Park Australian Reptile Park/AFP Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed A dust storm in Mullengudgery Marcia Macmillan/AFP Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed A submerged car on Gold Coast AP Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Damaged cars parked outside the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia after a hail storm hit Canberra EPA Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Golf ball-sized hail at Parliament House Getty Images Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Aftermath of a hail storm at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) glasshouses in Canberra EPA Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed A fallen tree sits on top of a car at Caringbah in Sydney. Storms in New South Wales left more than 2,200 homes without power EPA Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Damage at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) glasshouses in Canberra EPA Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Hail stones outside the Parliament House in Canberra Don Arthur/AFP Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Storm clouds gather over Sydney Harbour AFP via Getty Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Hail covers vehicles in Canberra AP Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed Flooded fields on Gold Coast AP Australia fires: Dust storm and flooding that followed An aerial view as rain begins to fall on drought and fire-ravaged country near Tamworth Getty Images

“Unfortunately, the reprieve may be short-lived with a blast of heat likely late this week in some areas,” the NSW Bureau of Meteorology wrote on Twitter.

As of Monday, some 59 bush and grass fires were burning in the state, where fire authorities explained how they had been capitalising upon the recent upturn in conditions, and preparing for the coming weeks.

“More than 1,300 firefighters are using more favourable conditions to slow the spread of fires and strengthen containment lines, ahead of forecast increasing temperatures later in the week,” NSW Rural Fire Service said.

Temperatures are predicted to hit 41C on Friday in Melbourne, which is hosting the Australian Open tennis tournament.

Australia’s capital Canberra was again blanketed in a smoky haze on Monday as a result of the fires in NSW, with firefighters also tackling a new blaze in the nearby Namadgi National Park.

A recent poll suggested one in two Australians had donated money to charities and organisations seeking to support firefighters and those affected by the infernos, while Global Fire Emissions Database experts calculated the bushfires had released enough greenhouse gases to double the country’s annual emissions from burning fossil fuels.