Heatwave halts Australian Open tennis matches

Soaring temperatures have halted matches at the Australian Open tennis tournament, as a report warns that the country will see hotter heatwaves.

Melbourne, where the tournament is held, is seeing a third consecutive day of heat above 40C, with temperatures of 41.7C (107F) on Thursday.

Australia's Climate Council says in a report that the number of hot days in the country has "more than doubled".

2013 was recently declared Australia's hottest year on record.

The Climate Council report attributed the development to climate change, caused by greenhouse gases.

Fire bans are in place across the states of Victoria and South Australia, as firefighters battle bushfires.