 Hello, I'm Tom Sanderson, IT Infrastructure and Operations Manager and Fire Behavior Analyst at CFA. And here's the January update of the summer bushfire outlook. Despite being in the El Nino and positive Indian Ocean Dipole, which is typically very dry, rainfall during October to December 2023 was well above normal across much of Victoria, particularly in the North and in Gippsland. This is likely due to record warm global sea surface temperatures as well as the southward shift of weather patterns, bringing more tropical moisture down to Victoria. During January, tropical moisture drawn down from northern Australia has resulted in significant rainfall and flooding in central and northern Victoria. The first nine days of January had set the record for the wettest start of the year in Victoria since records began around 1900. Parts of Victoria have recorded three times January average rainfall, but there are pockets such as the outways that are below the average rainfall for January. The high rainfall has resulted in very much above average soil moisture in most areas. Catchments are now saturated and many water storages are close to capacity. This will mean forests right across Victoria would generally have lower potential for bushfires. Most grasslands and croplands in northwestern West regions are in the dry phase of curing. This extends into the northeast region and even parts of the southwest region. Due to recent rain and good soil moisture, we have seen grass start to green up and this has led to lower incidence of grass fires. In December, grass and scrub incidents have been below the long term average in all regions except for the northwest, which has been closer to the long term average. For the season so far, northwest region is running at between 500 and 5000 hectares, cumulative area burnt, while other regions remain less than 500 hectares, with the exception of the southeast, where large early season bushfires occurred in September. During December, approximately 800 hectares was burnt, most of this was in the grasslands in the northeast and northwest regions. The fire danger period is in place in all municipalities across Victoria. Looking forward for the period February to April 2024, it is likely that maximum temperatures will be warmer than the average. Following a wet January, it is expected that February to April will be average to dry than average, particularly in the north and west. In summary, heavy rainfall in early summer has reduced fire potential across Victoria, particularly in the forests. However, grasslands and dry woodlands and heaflands may rapidly dry out to a flammable condition with the onset of hot and dry weather. Victoria is expected to see a return to warmer and drier conditions February to April. Therefore, bushfire risk is likely to increase in this late summer period, particularly in the north and west of the state, while forests in the east will remain damper for longer. Wherever you live, work or travel. Now is the time to have a conversation with your family, friends and neighbours about what it means to live with fire. What can you do to be more prepared for this bushfire season?