Desert park closed to stop summer deaths

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's harsh Simpson Desert conservation park will be closed during the southern hemisphere summer to prevent tourists dying in the outback, authorities said on Tuesday.

Temperatures in the Simpson Desert are forecast to reach 40 to 50 degrees Celsius (104-122 Fahrenheit) and authorities said it would be too dangerous for people to try and cross the desert.

The Simpson Desert Conservation Park and Regional Reserve, covering more than 3.6 million hectares (8.9 million acres) in the middle of Australia, will be closed from December 1 to March 15, said the South Australia state department for environment.

"During this period, dunes are soft and constantly changing shape, increasing the chance of vehicles becoming bogged and people becoming stranded. High temperatures also lead to an increased chance of vehicle failure," said Trevor Naismith.

The Simpson Desert has no official roads, just tracks which criss-cross some of the world's longest sand dunes.

(Reporting by Mchael Perry; Editing by David Fox)