AUSTRALIA broke its own heat record for the second day in a row this week as uncontrolled wildfires continued to burn across New South Wales and Sydney risked being engulfed in toxic fumes.

The average national maximum temperature reached 41.9°C on Wednesday, a full degree higher than Tuesday’s record-breaking number, the Bureau of Meteorology said today.

Hundreds of school kids and their parents gathered outside Prime Minister Scot Morrison’s house in Kirribilli, Sydney today while he was away on holiday to protest against the government’s inaction on the worsening climate crisis.

Ambrose Hayes, 14, said: “We are in the grips of a climate and health crisis, yet Scott Morrison and our government are nowhere to be seen.

“We are pitching tents outside his house, in solidarity with everyone who has lost their homes and everyone who is losing their futures to this government’s climate inaction.

“There is nothing normal about the fires, heat and drought gripping Australia right now. It is supercharged by climate change, fuelled by the mining and burning of coal and gas, enabled by Scott Morrison and our government.”

Meanwhile, New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, declared a seven-day state of emergency today as the country’s largely volunteer firefighters were joined by US and Canadian teams and the Australian Defence Force to battle over 100 fires, half of which remain uncontrolled.

Greenpeace warned today that “mega-fires” near two highly flammable coal mines were putting the greater Sydney area at risk of extremely toxic air pollution.

The coal mines could burn for weeks should they catch fire, Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s head of research and investigations Dr Nikola Casule said.

“The toxic fumes emitted from coal mine fires not only put workers and emergency services responders at extreme risk, but families and communities as well.

“Coal-mine fires would cause a significant worsening of the air pollution crisis we are already experiencing, as coal produces highly toxic emissions that are incredibly dangerous to families, and especially young children and the elderly.

“The Springvale coal mine suffered a power failure earlier this week. If power is cut again, it will disable fire-fighting infrastructure at the site, including sprinklers and water pumps, and other crucial emergency response equipment.”