Blazes across the country have torched about eight million hectares of land, sending air pollution soaring.
Melbourne hasn’t been as badly affected by pollution as Sydney or Canberra, but thick haze last week prompted speculation that the Australian Open could be delayed. However, Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said the tournament should go ahead as expected. “It is going to depend on the prevailing winds and whether we have ongoing fires,” Christine Jenkins, professor of respiratory medicine at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, told AFP.
Pollution can irritate the respiratory tract, intensifying and prolonging symptoms – but the health dangers don’t stop there. Meteorological and air-quality experts will be on site to monitor conditions. Any smoke hazards will be treated in a similar way to extreme heat and rain, with umpires able to stop play if air monitoring shows it is too dangerous to continue.
“Avoiding alcohol, getting plenty of rest, sleeping normal hours and not being outdoors any more than you need to be. Difficult for players, because they’re on practice courts and they’re constantly trying to keep their hours up.”