By Renju JoseSYDNEY (Reuters) - Strong winds and a rare, intense heatwave in early spring fanned dozens of bushfires across Australia's southeast, prompting extreme fire danger warnings on Wednesday for the greater Sydney region, home to more than 5 million people. Parts of Australia are sweltering in an unusual five-day burst of spring heat, forecast to last until Wednesday, pushing temperatures well above the September average. There have been no reports of property damage or injuries though more than 100 people had to sleep in their cars, media reported. After three years of heavy rains and frequent flooding, Australia is bracing for a warm and dry southern hemisphere spring and summer in 2023. On Tuesday, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology declared an El Nino weather pattern, typically associated with wildfires and droughts, was underway.

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Persons: Renju Jose SYDNEY, Renju Jose, Sonali Paul Organizations: NSW Rural Fire Services, Greater, Sydney, Meteorology, El, Fire Locations: Australia's, Sydney, New South Wales, NSW, Greater Sydney Region, Australia, Tasmania, El Nino, Sydney's, Turkey