'Massive relief': torrential rain douses bushfires across parts of Australia

Fire service chief Shane Fitzsimmons says days of rain is helping dampen fire grounds - but now floods are the new threat

Torrential rain in New South Wales has reduced the number of active fires in the state by a third, from more than 60 down to 42, but parts of the east coast now face a new threat from flooding, with Sydney facing one of its wettest three-day periods in years.

The commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service, Shane Fitzsimmons, said on Friday there had been a "dramatic shift" in the hot, dry and windy conditions that have driven the unprecedented fire season for months.