Australia bushfires: Fresh warnings in Queensland and New South Wales

Australian authorities have warned that massive bushfires raging in two states will continue to pose a threat, despite "catastrophic" conditions easing.

About 150 fires are still burning in คาสิโน  New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, feeding off tinder-dry conditions.

Fifty houses were destroyed or damaged in NSW on Tuesday but no lives were lost, officials said. At one point, fires broke out in suburbs of Sydney.

Queensland is expected to face dangerous wind changes on Wednesday.

"The conditions are of concern to us," said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, adding that communities were already facing emergency alerts.

The threat in NSW has been downgraded from catastrophic - the highest level - but officials urged residents to remain vigilant.

"We've got the worst of the summer - the worst of the season - still ahead of us as we head into summer," said NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.

What's happening in Queensland?
More than 60 bushfires are burning in the state amid forecasts of high temperatures, volatile winds and dry lightning.

Residents in Noosa North Shore, on the popular Sunshine Coast, were among those to be issued emergency alerts on Wednesday.

Firefighters who saved house leave milk 'apology'
Is climate change to blame for Australia's fires?
Early Australian bushfires 'an omen for summer'
Have you been affected by the bushfires? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
But officials warned that the winds were forecast to dreamgame  change direction later in the day, bringing unpredictable fire fronts.

"We could actually have three different weather fronts," Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Assistant Commissioner Tony Johnstone told the ABC.

What about NSW?
Mr Fitzsimmons said it was a relief that no-one died on Tuesday given "the enormity of these fire grounds". About 1.1 million hectares have been scorched in NSW since September.

Crews have been battling a front spanning 1,000km (620 miles) in NSW which has claimed three lives and razed up to 200 homes since Friday.