Bush fires are threatening homes in Sydney, Australia while snow has fallen in parts of Victoria on the fifth day of summer.

Firefighters are working to contain the blaze as smoke from the flames forced the closure of major motorways - causing widespread traffic problems.

Local media said the fire service believe the blaze was sparked by arson.

Meanwhile the southern state of Victoria has been hit with a snow storm on the fifth day of summer.

Local reports said that temperatures dropped to 1.7 degrees Celcius, and that about six centimetres of snow had already fallen.

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