Dozens of dead bats fall from sky in Queensland heatwave

A Queensland wildlife sanctuary had to euthanise more than 200 bats as temperature records that have stood for 70 years are repeatedly shattered in “unprecedented” heatwave conditions.

FNQ Wildlife Carers were forced to set up a makeshift triage to provide first aid after dozens of flying foxes started dropping out of the sky as a result of the heat.

The carers said they were left “exhausted and heartbroken” after the sheer numbers of dehydrated bats became overwhelming.

“Today we witnessed just how devastating heat can be. Today we lost hundreds of bats. As we saved some, more would drop from the tree,” they wrote in an emotional Facebook post.

“Carers are stretched, broken and tired.

“We had to make the heartbreaking decision to euthanise an easy 200 babies.

“We do not have to capacity to look after this amount and south are now having their own heat wave. We have filled our aviaries to maximum + some more.”

Images and video shared to Facebook give an insight into the devastating affect of the heat. Dozens of flying foxes lay motionless on a patch of grass.

Queensland’s north bakes in extreme heat

The state faces an exceptional heat and fire event, and extremely dangerous conditions will peak today, Bureau of Meteorology state manager Bruce Gunn says.

“We see extreme fire dangers in Queensland maybe once every two years, but we have now seen it seen it three times or more in four days,” Mr Gunn said.

The heatwave will grip Queensland at least until the weekend, with temperatures to hit 40 degrees and in some places climbing up to 45.

Mr Gunn said a trough would move across the state on Wednesday generating thunderstorms and lightning strikes with the potential to generate more fires.

On Tuesday night, 80 fires were burning across the state with emergency services warning that number could increase dramatically in Wednesday’s extreme conditions.

Mr Gunn said dry air behind the trough could broaden the fires “quite dramatically” and create a very potent and dangerous situation”.

The bureau warned of severe fire conditions across much of the state, including Central Highlands and Coalfields, Darling Downs and Granite Belt, Wide Bay and Burnett and the Southeast Coast.

Capricornia has been categorised as an “extreme fire danger”.

Mr Gunn said conditions were ripe for the fires to burn for several days.

Temperature records broken included a blistering 43.9 degrees at Cooktown and a slightly cooler 41.7 at Townsville.