Queen 'deeply saddened' as Australia's wildfire crisis continues
Video report by ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers
The Queen said she is "deeply saddened" by the devastating bushfires in Australia, as temperatures hit 50C in the fire-ravaged country.
In a message of condolence from herself and Prince Philip, the Queen said: "I have been deeply saddened to hear of the continued bushfires and their devastating impact across many parts of Australia.
"My thanks go out to the emergency services, and those who put their own lives in danger to help communities in need.
"Prince Philip and I send our thoughts and prayers to all Australians at this difficult time."
Her message comes as temperatures in some parts of Australia soared to 50C and as 3,000 defence force reservists were called up to face what is shaping up to be a torrid firefighting weekend.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison called in the army reservists and confirmed two more deaths on Saturday, bringing the toll since the country’s worst wildfire season on record began in September to 23.
“We are facing another extremely difficult next 24 hours,” Mr Morrison told reporters, while also confirming his scheduled visits to India and Japan later this month had been postponed owing to the ongoing situation.
ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers is in the area of Batemans Bay, east of the capital Canberra, and reported seeing the sky "thick with smoke", with temperatures reaching as "hot as hell" 50C.
ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers provides an update on the fires in New South Wales
He also tweeted a video of the "terrifying" drive through the thick smoke as he made he way out of the area, with fires sweeping across the parched land.
"The smoke is absolutely choking," he said. "The rural fire service and the residents are doing all they can to stop this.
"There are helicopters coming in and planes dropping water but the wind is so strong and the heat is unbelievable - it's more than 45 degrees at the moment.
"Things are looking pretty grim here."
Australia was bracing for one of the worst days of the crisis yet on Saturday, as searing heat and strong winds were forecast to bring flames to more populated areas.
Officials warned a fire in a national park west of Sydney had the potential to spread into the city’s outer western suburbs.
The defence force reservists will fight fires alongside thousands of full-time and volunteer firefighters, plus scores more brought in from other countries including Canada and the United States.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said this was the first time that reservists have been called out "in this way in living memory and, in fact, I believe for the first time in our nation's history".
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian says her state is facing “another terrible day” and called on people in areas threatened by the fires to leave while they still could.
Authorities also repeated warnings fires could move “frighteningly quick”, with embers carried by wind having the potential to spark new fires or enlarge existing ones.
Australian navy ships have been lifting hundreds of people from beaches in towns cut off by roads by the fires.
Tens of thousands of people have been urged to flee communities near fires, many of them coastal holiday centres, before hot and windy weather intensified over the weekend.
Australia’s summer wildfire season arrived early – in September – and has been more intense than any on record.
Collectively, more than 20,000 square miles has been burnt out around the country, and area almost the size of Croatia.
At least 20 people have died, and more than 1,400 homes have been destroyed.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fizsimmons said the 264,000-hectare (652,000-acre) Green Wattle Creek fire in a national park west of Sydney could spread into Sydney's western suburbs.
He said crews have been doing "extraordinary work" by setting controlled fires and using aircraft and machinery to try to keep the flames away.
Fitzsimmons called on residents and tourists in the path of the fires to evacuate as soon as possible.
"Our message has been to make sure you leave yesterday," he said.
"Leaving it until today is cutting it fine. The sooner you make that decision the better, and I would say do it now. Don't leave it any longer because the window will shrink and will shrink very quickly."
More than 130 fires were burning in New South Wales, with at least half of them out of control.
Firefighters were battling a total of 53 fires across Victoria state, and conditions were expected to worsen with a southerly wind change. About 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) of bushland has already been burned through.