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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

Australia Swelters in Heat Wave as Temps Hit 123 Degrees

 

Bats are dropping from trees, kangaroos are collapsing in the Outback and gardens are turning brown. While North America freezes under record polar temperatures, the southern hemisphere is experiencing the opposite extreme as heat records are being set in Australia after the hottest year ever.

 
Weather forecasters in Australia said some parts of the sparsely populated Pilbara region along the rugged northwest coast were approaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday. The record high of 50.7 degrees Celsius (123.3 F) was set in 1960 in Oodnadatta, South Australia state.
 
Outback resident Gian Tate, 60, spends much of the day soaking in a small wading pool at her home near Emu Creek in the Pilbara region, a remote area off the electric grid. The thermometer outside her home registered 50 degrees Celsius (122 F) on Wednesday, she said. Tate and her husband rely on two electric fans to cope with the oven-like heat and rarely turn on the small air conditioner in their bedroom because of the high cost of fuel to run their generator. "We've just got to live with it; there's nothing you can do," she said.
 
Brazil is also sizzling, with the heat index reaching 49 degrees Celsius (120 F). Zookeepers in Rio de Janeiro were giving animals ice pops to beat the heat. The late arrival of the monsoon in northern Australia, which has a cooling effect, is contributing to the searing heat, said Karly Braganza, the manager of climate monitoring at the Bureau of Meteorology. Global warming also is playing a role, he said. So far, this year's heat wave, which started around Christmas and has moved counterclockwise across Australia's north, is not as extensive or prolonged as last year's. But it would likely continue and move toward South Australia state, Braganza predicted. "Certainly looking at the forecast over the next week, it's looking like that heat is going to continue," he said.
 
Since Dec. 27, records have been set at 34 locations across Australia — some by large margins — where temperature data has been collected for at least 40 years mostly in Queensland and New South Wales states. In the mining town of Narrabi in New South Wales, the new record of 47.8 degrees Celsius (118 F) exceeded the previous record by 3.6 degrees Celsius (6.5 F). The extreme temperatures come on the heels of Australia's hottest year on record, beating the previous record year of 2005, with mean temperatures 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 F) above the 1961-90 average.
 
Meanwhile, a deep freeze gripping large swaths of the United States started to ease slightly after low temperature records were shattered in numerous locations. In Atlanta, the mercury fell to minus 14 degrees Celsius (6 F), and at Washington Dulles International airport it sank to minus 17 degrees Celsius (1 F), eclipsing the 1988 mark of minus 13 degrees Celsius (8 F). The heat wave in Australia has taken a toll on wildlife, too. 
 
In Winton, famous for being one of the hottest spots in Queensland and also the place where Australia's unofficial anthem "Waltzing Matilda" was penned, a "large number" of parrots, kangaroos and emus have recently been found dead in the parched landscape, said Tom Upton, chief executive of Winton Shire Council. "That's as much to do with the extended dry as it is with the heat wave," he said. At least 50,000 bats had been killed by the heat in the state's southeast, said Louise Saunders, president of the Queensland animal welfare group Bat Conservation and Rescue.
 
Heat-stressed bats — including the Black Flying Foxes, Little Red Flying Foxes and the endangered Gray-Headed Flying Foxes — cling to trees and urinate on themselves in a bid to reduce their body temperatures, she said. "As they succumb, they just fall in heaps at the base of trees," Saunders said. "You can have 250 or more — it's like dripping chocolate — all dying at the base of trees." "It's an enormous animal welfare concern," she added. At Emu Creek, Tate says the leaves have gone brown in her garden, despite watering. The heat keeps her awake at night. It also makes her husband's job of hunting kangaroos at night easier because they gather around wells that provide water for cattle. (Kangaroo meat is sold to consumers in Australia.) "You don't have to hunt them," she said. "Every single kangaroo at night time would be around the water."

 

 
 

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/deep-freeze-australia-swelters-heat-wave-21472020?page=2

 

Some crazy extremes in the World at the moment.

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Posted
  • Location: Camborne
  • Location: Camborne
A sign of the (hot) times...Heat wave forecasts from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology

 

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology is piloting a new product - a heat wave forecast.  It's a new product that is based on a specific definition of heatwave conditions for Australia.  This is: three days or more of high maximum and minimum temperatures that is unusual for that location, plus it takes into account conditions preceding the hot weather, allowing for whether people have acclimatised to the heat or not.

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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

One person succumbs and 24 homes razed in Perth hills bushfires.

Saturday 43.3...Saturday night minimum: 29.7* ( all time record )...Sunday 41.0

Moderating weather conditions this week.

 

*Previous January record was 27.8...big leap from record to record

Previous all time record February.. 29.3

...since 1897.

Edited by Styx
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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

One person succumbs and 24 homes razed in Perth hills bushfires.

 

49 homes now:

 

Man dies in Australian wildfire, 49 houses lost

 

ERTH, Australia — A man has died defending his home from an intense wildfire that razed wooded hills near Australia’s west coast city of Perth, destroying 49 houses. The 62-year-old man collapsed and died on the roof of his home in suburban Hovea on Perth’s eastern fringe on Sunday. He was believed to be hosing water onto his roof to protect it against embers, state fire service spokesman Allen Gale said Monday. The house was not damaged, Gale said.

 
Erractic winds whipped up 20-meter (65-foot) flames. The fire destroyed 49 houses and badly damaged another home in a picturesque region known as the Perth Hills, where homes are scattered through eucalyptus and jarrah forests, Gale said. The destruction toll was revised up from 46 houses following the discovery of three dwellings that were burnt on Sunday, he said. Four people initially reported missing in Parkerville — the village where the fire started and where four homes burned down — were found unharmed, Gale said.
 
The wildfire risk has been heightened by heat wave conditions on the west coast. Perth’s temperature reached 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday, the city’s hottest day in six years. About 275 firefighters on Monday continued to fight the blaze, which burned through about 350 hectares (865 acres) of woodlands and has been contained since Sunday night. The firefighters’ battle to keep the fire within containment lines was helped by cooler conditions. Temperatures in the hills region peaked at 41 C (106 F) on Sunday, but a sea breeze pushed the forecast maximum down to less than 30 C (86 F) on Monday. Gregson said there was nothing his team of 385 firefighters could have done to save more houses.

 

 

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/man-dies-in-australian-wildfire-27-houses-lost/2014/01/12/f5822b2a-7bf4-11e3-97d3-b9925ce2c57b_story.html

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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Staggering temperatures recorded today in Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia with January records being skitteled in a number of places in all three states.

 

This is day 1 or 2 of a 5 day heatwave ( ending Friday ).. which is forecast to rank in the top tier on record... for severity and prolongtivity  ( consecutive days exceeding 40 degrees uninterrupted...a little less in Tasmania )

 

Adelaide today 45.1... Third hottest January day on record.

Wednesday forecast 45C, Thursday 46C, Friday low 40s

I have never seen a 46C forecast for an Australian capital

 

Melbourne today 42.8

Wednesday forecast 41C, Thursday 41C, Friday 42C

 

Tasmania Seabreeses has kept Hobart relatively cool.. but moments ago it had reached 40.2C inland...anything more than 40.9C will see it as third hottest day on record

 

 

Extreme bushfire threat developing. Moments ago South Australia premier convenes an emergency crisis meeting for 'impending threat'.

 

 

Heat stress, lightning and gusty wind threat as temperature in Adelaide hits 45C

 

LIGHTNING is sparking several fires across the state as Adelaide's hospitals treat 20 people with heat-related illnesses and the mercury hits 45C.

The mercury reached 45.1C in Adelaide just after 1.55pm, the city's fourth hottest day on record, as the state swelters through the second day of a forecast five-day heatwave.

 

ESSENTIAL HEATWAVE INFORMATION - CLICK HERE

The worst seems yet to come with the Bureau of Meterology revising the maximum temperature for today and tomorrow to 45C and predicting 46C on Thursday.

The state's hottest day on record is 46.1C in January 1939.

A cool trough is expected to move in to the state's southern areas on Friday.

The temperature is now expected to reach of 44C tomorrow and 45C on Thursday, and 40C on Friday.

 

Since 1977, the weather station in Kent Town has recorded a 45C day just once - 45.7C in January, 2009.

If the temperature reaches 45C at the airport, it will be the first time the Adelaide Airport weather station has recorded a 45C day since the Bureau of Meteorology started collecting temperatures there in 1955.

 

And as if the extreme heat was not enough, the Bureau of Meteorology has now issued a severe thunderstorm warning for damaging winds for large parts of the state.

 

Story snipped for brevity http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/heat-stress-lightning-and-gusty-wind-threat-as-temperature-in-adelaide-hits-45c/story-fni6uo1m-1226801021564

Edited by Styx
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Posted
  • Location: Melbourne, Victoria
  • Location: Melbourne, Victoria

Much of Melbourne reached 43 today, certainly got a shock when i looked at my phone earlier and it was showing 46... think it was a degree of two out - but not much. 

 

Yes, looks like 4 days of 40+ in Melbourne starting today , which is unusual in a city known for it's cool changes - normally we would get 1 day of 40 per year, and a couple of near misses. 

 

To get 4 in a row comfortably over 40, as is forecast, if it comes off ( and the  models have actually been continuing to  upgrade the heat the nearer to  the event ) would be pretty exceptional.

 

With 850s looking to be around 28 degrees on Thursday you have to wonder whether  43-45  for Melbourne  might be achieved.  

 

Night temps also very notable - may not drop below 30 overnight on Thursday into Friday.

 

Adelaide's forecast for tomorrow (45)  and Thursday (46) after 45 degrees today  is just plain frightening, especially with dry lightning around and some wind.  I think but may be wrong that if this comes off it will be the first time an Australian capital city has had 3 consecutive days over 45 degrees.

 

 Although the bush is not as tinder dry as it was in 2009, and the wind not forecast to be particularly strong, any kind of effective fire fighting ( or actually doing anything out of doors ) in these temperature is near impossible so the forecasts are  very worrying .

 

Off to the beach now, it's 10pm and 37 degrees here................just nice for a dip in the cool waters of the bay .

Edited by Upgrade
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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Adelaide's forecast for tomorrow (45)  and Thursday (46) after 45 degrees today  is just plain frightening, especially with dry lightning around and some wind.  I think but may be wrong that if this comes off it will be the first time an Australian capital city has had 3 consecutive days over 45 degrees.

 

 

No Australian capital has ever had 2 days in a row of 45+...let alone 3! It surely will fall short..?

 

---

Back in 2008 Adelaide had a heatwave that was absolutley unparalleled with 15 days over 35. Described as a "one in 3000 year event".

http://news.smh.com.au/national/adelaide-heatwave-one-in-3000-years-20080318-2034.html

This marked the point - the beginning - of a flurry of never before documented weather extremes and records in Australia...

The three 45s if achieved will certainly be one of the most exceptional on this list..

Edited by Styx
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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

We can feel the heat in this hemisphere, it's driving all our cold Winter away!

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Posted
  • Location: Ireland, probably South Tipperary
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snow, Windstorms and Thunderstorms
  • Location: Ireland, probably South Tipperary

Cheers for the updates folks. It's fascinating to follow.

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

Australia braces for extreme fire weather

 

Australian authorities warned on Tuesday of some of the worst fire danger since a 2009 inferno which killed 173 people, with most of the continent's south-east sweltering through a major heatwave. Victoria state, where the so-called Black Saturday firestorm flattened entire villages in 2009 and destroyed more than 2 000 homes, was again bracing for extreme fire weather.

 
“These next four days promise to be amongst the most significant that we have faced in Victoria since Black Saturday,†said acting state premier Peter Ryan. Tens of thousands of firefighters were on standby, and 1 290 brigades were in a “state of high preparednessâ€, he added, with the peak danger day expected on Friday when very strong winds are forecast. “We are alive to the fact that we face these challenges over the course of these coming four days, including today. But on the other hand we are well prepared, we are ready to go,†Ryan said.
 
A grass-fire tested crews early at Little River west of Melbourne, racing out of control and triggering a brief emergency alert before water-bombing aircraft managed to bring it under control. Victoria and neighbouring South Australia state are bracing this week for what forecasters are describing as a “severe to extreme heatwave conditionsâ€, with successive days of temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) expected. A similar heatwave struck before the 2009 fires, Australia's worst natural disaster of the christmas pudding in terms of casualties. An estimated 374 people died during the preceding heatwave, with another 173 fatalities in the firestorm itself. If the forecasts come to pass, Melbourne will see its longest stretch of hot weather in 100 years.
 
On Tuesday, players at the Australian Open were sweltering. A ball boy collapsed and water bottles melted on court as the mercury soared above 40 degrees Celsius. Experts said the outlook had echoes of 2009. “The forecast weather patterns are quite reminiscent of conditions before Black Saturday, with severe and expansive high temperatures across the southern part of the continent and the presence of low pressure cells on either side of the country in the tropics,†said bushfire specialist Jason Sharples from the University of New South Wales in Canberra. “The combination of high temperature and low relative humidity means that the moisture content of vegetation will be very low. Hence, if a bushfire was to start, it would be expected to spread more rapidly than normal.
 
†Hospitals and emergency authorities are on standby for an influx of heat-related call-outs, with Ambulance Victoria warning it would be “stretchedâ€. “We have recalled all available staff, every available vehicle will be on the road,†said operations manager Paul Holman. Holman said 11 people were treated for heat exposure on Monday, including an elderly man who collapsed while playing lawn bowls. The heat system has moved across Australia from the west coast, where a wildfire in Perth razed 52 homes on Sunday and claimed the life of one man as he prepared his home for the flames.
 
Hundreds of residents sheltering in evacuation centres since they were forced to flee their homes prepared to return Tuesday, with many fearing what they will find. “It's just like, what's going to be there? What will be left?†Stoneville resident Fleur Adams told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Wildfires and hot weather are common in Australia's December-February summer months, but the current event is unusual because it is occurring in what is supposed to be a neutral period in the El Nino pattern bringing average conditions. El Nino, a phenomenon characterised by usually warm ocean temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, is generally associated with hotter, drier conditions in Australia
 
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Posted
  • Location: The Netherlands
  • Location: The Netherlands

Extreme temperature conditions

 

It has certainly been an impressive set of extremes that have happened during the past year or so in Australia. It does make me wonder, though, as Australia hasn't had (as far as I can see) very extreme synoptic settings, with, for example, a highly amplified flow.

 

To put the possible 3 days of 45+ temperatures (as Upgrade noted) in perspective, the Guardian stated that:

 

 

It is not that common for the Australian-average temperature to exceed 39°C for even two days in a row. A run of three days above 39°C has occurred on only three occasions, and a run of four days just once, in 1972.

 

The article (about last year's heatwave) is discussing the exceedence of 39*C temperatures, while we are currently dealing with a sequence of 45+ temps!

 

Also worth noting is that extreme heatwave conditions (relatively spoken) are mainly forecast to develop over the very south of Australia, including Tasmania. This can be seen in the map below (from BOM):

Posted Image

This chart indicates the forecasted heatwave extremity during the next 3 days, from the 14th onwards.

Note that this is relatively spoken, as an "extreme heatwave" indicates extreme heatwave conditions only for the specifically indicated areas. 

 

It really makes me wonder what could actually be causing these highly extreme conditions mainly over Australia. It could be as a direct result of global warming, but the 1*C temperature increase wouldn't explain the full extent of the extreme warming events. Could it be a consequence of changed synoptic patterns (possibly as a consequence of climate change)? 

 

Tropical low over Australia

 

Meanwhile, a tropical low has developed over the northern coast of Australia. The low is not forecast to develop into a tropical cyclone, as it is located too far over land. However, the GFS is actually indicating the low to remain quite vigorous (pressure of below 995 hPa during land passage) while moving west-southwestward over the Australian continent.

 

The forecasted track of the low by BOM can be seen below:

Posted Image

 

Meanwhile, the forecasted track and MSLP of the low, as forecasted by GFS, can be seen below:

Posted Image

The light blue color indicates a pressure of around 990 hPa, while the dark blue indicates a pressure of around 1000 hPa.

 

Note the pressure of the system oscillating between 990 and 1000 hPa over land, which is quite remarkable for a tropical system.

 

General picture

 

For a more general image, an infrared image of Australia is given below:

Posted Image

 

What can clearly be seen is the convection associated with the tropical low mostly displaced over the sea, with some bursts just inland over Northern Australia. Moreover, a rather dark area can be seen over the southeast of Australia. In longwave images like the one above, very dark colors indicate high amounts of outgoing longwave radiation. This is a good indication for areas with high temperatures (Stefan Bolzmann's law).

This illustrates that the impressive heatwave conditions over Australia can readily be seen in satellite images.

 

 

In short, it has been a very impressive sequence of heatwaves currently occuring over Australia. This is in agreement with the prediction that more extreme weather would be more likely in the future. However, the reason(s) for this sequence of events have yet to be found.

 

 

Sources:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/jan/21/what-is-causing-australia-heatwave

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/heatwave/

http://moe.met.fsu.edu/cyclonephase/gfs/fcst/index.html

http://oiswww.eumetsat.int/~idds/html/product_description.html (for the explanation on the satellite picture of Australia).

Edited by Vorticity0123
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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Adelaide misses out on making state capital city history today .. failing to reach 45C.  Had it done so it would have been Australia's first state capital to have back to back 45s, following 45.1C yesterday.

 

43.7C today..

 

BOM however still bullish about tomorrow ( Thursday )...forecast 46C...which will match the all time record there ( 46.1C in 1939 ).

Melbourne upgrade to 44C.

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
Australian Open: Fears Amid Heatwave Collapses
 
Players slam officials for forcing them to compete in "inhumane" conditions - and say they are risking a tragedy.
 
Andy Murray is the latest tennis star to hit out at Australian Open organisers after players and ballboys fainted in 40C-plus temperatures. The Wimbledon champion joined a growing list of players slamming organisers for forcing them to compete in the suffocating summer heat at Melbourne Park. He said the sight of people collapsing "looks terrible for the whole sport" and officials were risking a tragedy with the mercury expected to top 40C over the next three days.
 
Whether it's safe or not, I don't know. You just got to be very careful these days," he said after his first-round win against Japan's Go Soeda. "There's been some issues in other sports with, you know, players having heart attacks. I don't know exactly why that is. Or collapsing." The backlash became more intense after Canadian Frank Dancevic passed out for a minute during his first round match against France's Benoit Paire on the uncovered court six. "I think it's inhumane, I don't think it's fair to anybody, to the players, to the fans, to the sport, when you see players pulling out of matches, passing out," he told reporters afterwards.
 
"I've played five set matches all my life and being out there for a set and a half and passing out with heat-stroke, it's not normal. I personally don't think it's fair and I know a lot of players don't think it's fair." The tournament's "extreme heat" measures were put into force for women's matches on Tuesday, allowing an extra 10-minute break between the second and third sets. But under new rules this year, the decision on whether to stop matches is now down to tournament director Wayne McKewen.
 
Rather than using Celsius levels to assess the heat, organisers prefer to use the Wet Bulb Global Temperature composite, which also takes into account humidity and wind. Organisers said temperatures peaked at 42.2C on Tuesday, but the relatively low level of humidity ensured play would continue. Many players have followed Roger Federer's line that, although conditions are tough, they are the same for both players. "It's just a mental thing," he said. "If you've trained hard enough your entire life or the last few weeks and you believe you can do it and come through it, there's no reason. If you can't deal with it, you throw in the towel."

 

 

 

http://news.sky.com/story/1194917/australian-open-fears-amid-heatwave-collapses

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Posted
  • Location: Melbourne, Victoria
  • Location: Melbourne, Victoria

It's late here, so i'll be brief (ish) but a couple of things spring to mind after another day in Melbourne in the 40's today ( and 44 tomorrow and 42 Friday forecast).

 

I've lived in Oz just over a year and am not a native but this is hot even for locals. 

 

Despite general perceptions overseas of Oz being hot and sunny all the time, full of deserts and dusty bush etc generally the coastal cities where 85% of Australians live are located in reasonably green, temperate regions in which to live,most of the year.

 

hot spells are a feature of aussie summers but in the south and east rarely last more than a day or two at  a time,  with a spike in temperature followed by a large drop ( up to 20 degrees c) with the lower temperature periods  being longer lasting than the high ones. despite being on the same latitude in the southern hemipshere as athens is in the north, melbourne generally has a much more temperate summer climate than athens -  albeit with these ocassional spikes of heat.  

 

What seems to be "new"  here is the length and extremity of the hot spells. 4 days over 40 for Melbourne isnt at all usual. and it's only 4 years since the last session like this one.   and 2013 was the hottest summer recorded  in 150 years.

 

 When you combine it with raging 12 or 13 UV ratings and strong winds and temperatures like last night of 37.1 deg C  at 115 in the morning..... life quickly becomes really unpleasant. Add to this dry lightning storms, fires and power outages and you start to get the picture. You really don't need a 2 week heatwave of these sorts of conditions for life to start getting difficult - 3 days of it creates havoc.  

 

The pressure belts seem to have moved south over the decades,leading to longer lasting hot blasts from the inland deserts. 

 

Who knows what lies in the future  - is this just part of the natural variation?

 

to see numerous birds and other animals dropped dead on the ground doesn't seem normal, though i don't have long years of experience here.  Australia's evironment  can be savage, but sights like that are still shocking to me. 

Edited by Upgrade
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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
Fire Weather Warning IDS20299
 
Fire Weather Warning for the North West Pastoral, North East Pastoral, West Coast, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Flinders, Mid North, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Metropolitan, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Riverland, Murraylands, Upper South East and Lower South East forecast districts
 
Issued at 3:29 pm CDT on Wednesday 15 January 2014.
 
Weather Situation
 
Severe or higher fire danger ratings have been declared by the CFS for all districts. Continued very hot over the entire area. Dry apart from possible afternoon thundery showers in the far west. North to northeast winds 20-30 km/h, but reaching 30-40 km/hr at times in the west. Wind gusts of 40-50 km/h. Weak southwest sea breeze developing late in the day along coastline. Areas of raised dust in the west.
 
For Thursday 16 January:
 
Extreme Fire Danger is forecast for the following forecast districts:
 
West Coast and Mount Lofty Ranges 
The Country Fire Service advises that fires burning under these conditions are likely to be fast-moving and uncontrollable.
 
Severe Fire Danger is forecast for the following forecast districts:
 
North West Pastoral, North East Pastoral, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Flinders, Mid North, Adelaide Metropolitan, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Riverland, Murraylands, Upper South East and Lower South East 
The Country Fire Service advises that fires burning under these conditions are likely to be fast-moving and uncontrollable.
 
The Country Fire Service advises:
 
Action your Bushfire Survival Plan now.
Monitor the fire and weather situation through your local radio station, www.cfs.sa.gov.au, and www.bom.gov.au.
Ensure you have the latest information on Total Fire Bans and how to prepare for fires. Visit the CFS web page at www.cfs.sa.gov.au or call the CFS Bushfire Information Hotline on 1300 362 361.
 
The next warning will be issued by 7:00 am CDT Thursday.

 

 

http://www.bom.gov.au/sa/warnings/fire2.shtml

 

Fire Weather Warning for the Southern Ranges and Southern Slopes fire areas
Issued at 5:10 pm EDT on Wednesday 15 January 2014.
 
Weather Situation
 
A high pressure system in the Tasman Sea is directing northerly winds across southeastern Australia, creating hot, sunny and dry conditions.
 
For Thursday 16 January:
 
Severe Fire Danger is forecast for the following fire areas:
Southern Ranges and Southern Slopes 
The NSW Rural Fire Service warns that any bushfire that starts has the potential to threaten lives and destroy homes.

 

 

http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/warnings/fire.shtml

 

Fire Weather Warning for the Australian Capital Territory
Issued at 5:11 pm EDT on Wednesday 15 January 2014.
 
Weather Situation
A high pressure system in the Tasman Sea is directing northerly winds across southeastern Australia, creating hot, sunny and dry conditions.
 
For Thursday 16 January:
Severe Fire Danger in the following fire area:
Australian Capital Territory 
The ACT Rural Fire Service warns that any bushfire that starts has the potential to threaten lives and destroy homes.

 

 

http://www.bom.gov.au/act/warnings/fire.shtml

 

Total Fire Ban Advice for New South Wales
Issued at 2:52 pm EDT on Wednesday 15 January 2014.
 
The NSW Rural Fire Service has totally banned the lighting of fires for Thursday 16 January for the Central Ranges, Southern Slopes and Southern Ranges Total Fire Ban Districts.

 

 

http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/warnings/fireban.shtml

 

Fire Weather Warning for the Gascoyne, Exmouth Gulf Coast and Eucla fire weather districts
Issued at 4:28 pm WST on Wednesday 15 January 2014.
 
Weather Situation
Fresh and gusty winds around a deep trough that will move through the Eucla during Thursday. Fresh southerly winds in the Gascoyne and western Pilbara during Thursday.
 
For Thursday 16 January:
 
Severe Fire Danger is forecast for the following fire weather districts:
Gascoyne, Exmouth Gulf Coast and Eucla 
 
If you are in a SEVERE or EXTREME Fire Danger area:
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) advises if a fire starts and takes hold it will be unpredictable, move very fast and be difficult for firefighters to bring under control.
For further bushfire advice and information on total fire bans go to: www.dfes.wa.gov.au
 
The next warning will be issued by 5:00 am WST Thursday.

 

 

http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/warnings/fire2.shtml

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

Heatwave sparks fears of wildfires in Australia

 

Bushfires broke out in the Perth suburbs over the past weekend as temperatures rocketed in the city, peaking at 43C on Saturday. The city recorded its highest ever night time temperature, just short of 30C. As the heatwave moves over South Australia, Victoria authorities have warned of the worst fire danger since the 2009 Black Saturday fire disaster which claimed the lives of 173 people and razed 2000 homes. BBC Weather's Stav Danaos reports on the situation.

 

 

Video here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/25734577

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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

7.30am AEST and 29C in Melbourne ( forecast 44 ) and 31C in Adelaide ( forecast 46 ). At the same time yesterday, Adelaide was 2 degrees cooler and Melbourne was 2 degrees warmer. Today is likely to be the hottest day of the heatwave in these cities, but tomorrow will be the worst for fire danger, as a cool change comes thru from the south west.

 

Hobart is 15 right now ( forecast 23 ) with onshore winds being maintained. Misty and humid yesterday and this morning. But tomorrow's high of 38 is right up there for a summer extreme. 40C+ has only ever been achieved 8 times in Hobart's 130 year weather record history...so keen eyes on tomorrow's potential.

 

Canberra joins the fray recording 40.2 yesterday with 40 forecast today. Only once has Canberra had 3 days in a row of 40+ ( in 2009 )...with 39 forecast for Saturday...to make three at least a good chance. 

 

Without wishing to underplay the threat of bushfires.. the situation on the ground here could be far worse. I notice that the threat has has been ramped up especially in the international press. Despite the near record length of this heatwave with the exceptional high temperatures, no region has a Catastrophic fire danger imposed, and I would be surprised if any populated area had one imposed tomorrow.. when weather conditions will remain very hot, and become windier.

 

Australia has a national bushfire rating system which can be read about here: http://www.fire.tas.gov.au/Show?pageId=colFireDangerRatings

The highest ratings today are mostly severe with a few extremes. Even Adelaide with a forecast temperature of 46 ranks third tier down from Catastrophic today. That ranking has been imposed a few times ( in unpopulated areas ) since the new national ranking system came into being in 2010/11.

Edited by Styx
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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

Matches abandoned:

 

Heatwave halts Australian Open tennis matches

 

Soaring temperatures have halted matches at the Australian Open tennis tournament, as a report warns that the country will see hotter heatwaves. Melbourne, where the tournament is held, is seeing a third consecutive day of heat above 40C, with temperatures of 41.7C (107F) on Thursday. Australia's Climate Council says in a report that the number of hot days in the country has "more than doubled".

 
2013 was recently declared Australia's hottest year on record. The Climate Council report attributed the development to climate change, caused by greenhouse gases. Fire bans are in place across the states of Victoria and South Australia, as firefighters battle bushfires. In Victoria, several fire emergency warnings have been issued, as fires in the Northern Grampians area merged into one "out of control" bushfire and residents were urged to evacuated.
 
'Extreme heat policy'
 
Australian Open organisers said their extreme heat policy was in force, with matches on outside courts being suspended at the end of their sets. Matches at Rod Laver Arena and Hisense Arena would continue with a closed roof, they said in a statement. Play was scheduled to resume on outside courts at 18:00 local time (07:00 GMT)
 
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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Currently 11am Friday..

 

Final day of the severe, near-record heatwave in south east Australia. The cool change is currently edging its way slowly onto the South Australian coast south of Adelaide, to reach Victoria and Melbourne, and Tasmania, later today.

 

Adelaide didn't manage to reach it's forecast high of 46 yesterday ( 44.2C )...which was the lead news story.... BOM showing a tendency to over estimate high maximums this spring/summer in Australia, after under-estimating last summer's extreme peaks.

 

Melbourne 43.3 yesterday ( forecast high of 44 ). Currently 36.6 at 11am on the way to another 44. Will be day 4 of 40+, the second longest run on record

 

Tasmania A week of inland temperatures of mid 30s to 40.2...but cooler in Hobart with seabreeses this week, but Hobart forecast of 38C today Currently 29.7. That is reasonably high for this time of day an despite cirrus skies I reckon it'll get there..

 

Canberra 40.2 yesterday following 40.1 on Wednesday. Two consecutive days of 40+ is in fact an equal record ( with 1968 ) contrary to what I said in previous post..BOM inputted wrong data on it's climate history page! I let them know about it... Forecast today of 41, then 39 for Saturday. A shorter weather record history for Canberra though, dating back to 1942.

 

-----

News of property loss in NW Victoria with bushfire this morning, extent unclear. Could be a dodgy day for that state..before the cool change this evening, and even after it.. as winds turns squally in the opposite direction, with dry lightning strikes.

 

Cooler everywhere next week with maximums close to the January average.

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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

 

Matches abandoned:

 

 

 

 

Pathetic really that it took so long for them to enact the play ban. It appears to me that too many people had too much money and time to lose if  everything was postponed. Even players with all their corporate sponsorships have pressure to go on rather than bow out or even complain about it if they feel their bodies are frying.

 

They'll probably enact the ban today, once there are a few more collapses and hallucination events  Posted Image

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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

The 'silent killer'.

 

 

Heat predicted to kill hundreds

 

Hundreds of Victorians will die as a result of this week's heatwave, a leading climate researcher predicts.

 

Professor Neville Nicholls, from Monash University, said the state's mortality rate was likely to jump by at least 50 per cent as the mercury climbed above 40 degrees for three days running and was forecast to reach 44 degrees on Friday.

 

"There will be a substantial increase in people passing away, particularly among vulnerable groups, who tend to be the elderly and those whose health is largely compromised by other illnesses or the drugs they take," he said.

 

In 2009, Professor Nicholls correctly foretold that the heatwave preceding the Black Saturday bushfires was responsible for hundreds of deaths.

Victoria's health authorities later estimated that the heatwave might have contributed to up to 374 deaths.

 

Professor Nicholls, who worked at the Bureau of Meteorology for 35 years, said mortality surged when overnight temperatures did not fall.

 

"In Melbourne, the data suggests that just one hot day by itself doesn't do much, but if it stays hot overnight that's when the real damage is done," he said.

Snipped in parts...but that's the gist of it... http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/heat-predicted-to-kill-hundreds-20140116-30xb9.html

 

 

Melbourne records heatwave not seen for 100 years

 

DAVID MARK: Well staying with the heatwave, and Melbourne has recorded a heatwave not seen for 100 years.The city has recorded four consecutive days over 40 degrees, with overnight temperatures dropping below 25 just once since Tuesday.The Ambulance Service says it's attended 400 heat exposure cases. At one stage this morning, paramedics were dealing with a heart attack every six minutes.

 

Audio from ABC radio's PM program ( about 4 mins ) or transcript

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2013/s3927578.htm

 

--------

Melbourne's most severe heatwaves since 1855 ( Duration of consecutive days above 40C )

Min/Max...

 

1. 1908

Day 1-5....21/43...20-44...22/40...23/41...24/43

 

2. 2014

Day 1-4....18/43...29/42...27/44...26/44

 

3. 2009

Day 1-3....19/43...26/44...26/45

 

January average temperature range: 15-26

Mean number of days in a year over 40: 1.3

 

---------------

 

I don't have much time to look at Adelaide history stats for now but they were just as significant.

12 homes taken out by bushfire in South Australia, and 4 in Victoria. No direct fire related fatalities. Good news.

Edited by Styx
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Posted
  • Location: Camborne
  • Location: Camborne

Thanks Styx, it all looks pretty grim. There is a popular myth that abounds that cold kills more people than heat but in many places this is just not the case. The 2003 heatwave in Europe for example.

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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Posted Image

 

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/heatwave/index.shtml

 

Severe heat building in the south-east yet again starting today - transitioning into severe heatwave conditions beginning at the end of this week. Whilst not as potent as the heatwave recently ended, it will see a prolonged run of high maximum temperatures in Victoria, South Australia and southern New South Wales that are usually seen only once every decade or so - perhaps longer away from the coast.

 

Intensifying bushfire threat with large rainfall deficiencies over quite a large area in the populated south-east.

 

BOM suggesting a national January mean temperature to finish in top 4 on record ( after the hottest January last year ). This latest heatwave is likely to bump things up the scale.

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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Midday today:

 

Posted Image

 

17 minutes ago at 5pm:

 

Posted Image

 

An intense sensory experience in Hobart presently... with heavy smoke haze reducing visibility extensively and the strong smell of burning bush in the air. Bushfires currently burning about 25 miles away in a day of high-grade heat. Maximum 38.9C ( +16 above average )...top end of scale of what is usally achieved in any given summer.  Still currently 36.9C despite the sun being blotted out by the haze. 

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
The bushfire season is well under way in Australia. Areas desiccated by a record-breaking heatwave are suffering badly, with more than 100 separate fires burning at one point. The largest fire this season covered more than 81 square miles (21,000 hectares) in the Grampians national park in Victoria, and was big enough to create its own weather.
 
The rising plume of smoke above a fire is the visible sign of a larger updraught of hot air, carrying moisture from burning vegetation. As this updraught mixes with colder air at altitude, the water vapour condenses into fluffy white cloud called Pyrocumulus, from the Greek pyro for fire. As it grows, the cloud may develop into anvil-shaped Pyrocumulonimbus and produce a shower of rain. This might even extinguish the parent fire.
 
But the updraught carries burning embers, known as firebrands, to a great height, and these can start new fires 20 miles downwind. If the fire slows, the updraught collapses and may reverse into a downdraught. This also causes problems: as the downdraught strikes the ground, it is directed outwards, fanning the flames and blowing firebrands beyond the leading edge of the fire.
 
The Grampian fire was marked by thunderstorms. These are often seen with Pyrocumulus, and even the smoke plume can produce lightning. For reasons which are not well understood, Pyrocumulus tends to have the opposite charge structure to normal thunderclouds. This charge inversion is associated with unusually powerful cloud-to-ground lightning – which can start yet more fires.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/news/2014/jan/27/weatherwatch-how-bushfires-create-rain

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