Australia may face even higher risk of fire next summer due to extreme temperatures, a university professor told ABC Radio's AM program Monday.

Professor Roger Stone, an expert in climate modeling from the University of Southern Queensland, said it is predicted that an El Nino climate event could hit Australia in 2009, causing higher than usual temperatures across the country.

Though he put the probability of an El Nino developing by mid-winter at about 60 percent at the present stage, "a risk management approach has to be developed for such an event," he said.

He warned that if an El Nino event develops, it will exacerbate the whole drought and therefore fire situation across the country for next summer.

Australia experienced the record heatwave this summer. High temperatures and strong wind are thought to have precipitated the Feb. 7 bushfires, which have killed 181 so far in the southeastern Australia.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2009)