Australia's bushfire-stricken east welcomes drenching rain

FILE PHOTO: People slide around in the mud, celebrating the rainfall in Winton, Queensland, Australia January 15, 2020 in this still image taken from social media video. Teonie Dwyer via REUTERS

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Intense thunderstorms with heavy rains dampened bushfires on Australia's east coast on Friday, to the relief of exhausted firefighters and farmers battling years of drought, and granting a reprieve to the organisers of next week's Australian Open.

Australia, famous for its pristine beaches and wildlife, has been fighting bushfires since September, with fires killing 29 people and millions of animals, and destroying more than 2,500 homes while razing an area roughly a third the size of Germany.