Yesterday there was an orange haze in the skies of Auckland as smoke from the Australian bushfires drifted 2,000 kilometers across the Tasman sea. Yesterday afternoon it got so dark, it felt like an eclipse. There were reports of several people calling the emergency number, 111, to tell the police that the sky looked strange. At night, people noticed a red moon shining through the haze. The haze will clear today because wind will blow the smoke away. This also affected the South Island last week.
The Australian bushfires have been going on for months now, but they have been getting worse and firefighters need more help. New Zealand will send three helicopters and personnel to help fight the Australian bushfires.
Volunteers in New Zealand are making pouches, nests and wraps for young animals affected by the Australia fires, and others are buying equipment to send to Australia for helping animals wounded in the fire.
Vocabulary
haze: similar to a light fog, or mist
bushfire: fire in the bush
eclipse: when the moon is in front of the sun and it blocks the sunlight
personnel: workers
pouch: a pocket
nest: a place where birds live
wrap: a small blanket
wounded: hurt, injured