IT was ironic that climate campaigners in Winchester held a vigil on a wet and stormy night for the victims of the bush fires in Australia, caused by dry weather.

Extinction Rebellion met at the Buttercross in the wind and rain at the end of Storm Brendon to listen to speeches and reflect in silence at the impact of the fires.

Speaking at the vigil, Matt Hull said: “Bushfires are not unusual in Australia but have got worse over recent years fuelled by the climate crisis. They themselves release a huge amount of carbon dioxide. The human death toll has risen and and over a billion animals have been killed.”

It is suggested that some of the wildlife may never recover.

ER says Australia has a government that has done all it can to deny the climate and ecological emergency.

Matt added: “We must look to the future and remember to not disengage with the fact that this is what reality now looks like. Wildfires in California, the burning of the Amazon, bushfires, floods in Jordan and heatwaves in France reaching 45.9 degrees C.

“These just a few of the recent extreme weather events.”