In Australia, as many as a million fish have died along the banks of the Murray-Darling river system in drought-battered eastern Australia. The banks of the rivers are thick with rotten fish, with officials saying the toll is closer to one million. The New South Wales government has warned that further high temperatures forecast for this week could make the situation worse.

Low water conditions and the heat may also have encouraged an algae bloom that starves the fish of oxygen and produces toxins. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today that it is a devastating ecological event.

The government has blamed the fish deaths on drought, and defended policies which some locals say has caused the systemic depletion and pollution of the river system. Opposition leader Bill Shorten called on the government to set up an emergency task force to address the issue.