Australian heat waves & bushfires

[Baronage-Phase]

 

[ice-is-forming]

 

[2hats]

Heavy downpour overnight on the northern outskirts of Sydney and it's a lovely, clear, sunny christmas day with patchy blue sky, for a change.

 

[2hats]

This morning very clear. In fact the air quality (PM2.5) is far better than that on my typical London commute right now.

 

[weltweit]

This morning very clear. In fact the air quality (PM2.5) is far better than that on my typical London commute right now.

Long may it last.

Are you in Sydney ATM?

 

[2hats]

Long may it last.

Are you in Sydney ATM?

Temperature is set to climb into the 40's (degC) over the coming days. Am on the northern outskirts of Sydney.

 

[ice-is-forming]

Bushfire crisis live coverage

 

[shakespearegirl]

Massive evacuations in East Gippsland, with 40,000 people told to leave the area. Right in the busiest week of the year for the tourist industry which a lot of the area is dependent on. I’ve loads of friends who live there and I’m meant to be visiting in 2 weeks. Just read about fires so intense they are generating their own lightening!

 

[ice-is-forming]

Massive evacuations in East Gippsland, with 40,000 people told to leave the area. Right in the busiest week of the year for the tourist industry which a lot of the area is dependent on. I’ve loads of friends who live there and I’m meant to be visiting in 2 weeks. Just read about fires so intense they are generating their own lightening!

Chilling words "it is too late to leave"

EMERGENCY WARNING - BUSHFIRE
Incident Location: 5Km N Of Suggan Buggan

This Emergency Warning is being issued for Suggan Buggan.

The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave.

More details at http://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/#!/warning/10579/ …

 

[shakespearegirl]

And lots of tourists refusing to leave affected area. ‘The guy in the pub told me it will all be fine and the evacuations are an over reaction, so we are staying put’. FFS if the fires spread to remote towns with one road in/out this could be horrific.

 

[ice-is-forming]

And lots of tourists refusing to leave affected area. ‘The guy in the pub told me it will all be fine and the evacuations are an over reaction, so we are staying put’. FFS if the fires spread to remote towns with one road in/out this could be horrific.

Lots of roads being cut lots of off grid bussiness goes on in these areas too. It's not always possible to know who's in there. But when you get a text saying " it's too late to leave" you know no one (except neighbours) will be along to help now..

Stay safe shakespearegirl :/

 

[shakespearegirl]

Lots of roads being cut lots of off grid bussiness goes on in these areas too. It's not always possible to know who's in there. But when you get a text saying " it's too late to leave" you know no one (except neighbours) will be along to help now..

Stay safe shakespearegirl :/

we are safe in the sweltering lands of Ballarat at the moment. Waiting to hear from lots of friends who I hope are safe.
And yes, there are loads of off griders around there, scary times

 

[ice-is-forming]

we are safe in the sweltering lands of Ballarat at the moment. Waiting to hear from lots of friends who I hope are safe.
And yes, there are loads of off griders around there, scary times

They've just closed the princes highway again.. :/ I hope people got out

Category: | Herald Sun

 

[ice-is-forming]

Last summer I was at an evacuation centre in a place like that. People were refusing to leave their homes, a whole lot had to be rescued from a beach in the end. Some quite broken

There were people who hadn't spoken to another person for ten years, people with complex issues, families, people dealing, dv order issues, It was hectic! tbh quite honestly, I actually think they should have closed the national parks, camping areas etc a lot earlier. Before the school holidays.

Just stay at home this year, don't take your family camping in the bush. And if a first responder knocks on your door and asks you to leave then leave..

 

[shakespearegirl]

We’ve just had a massive rainstorm, hope it makes its way up to Gippsland

 

[ice-is-forming]

We’ve just had a massive rainstorm, hope it makes its way up to Gippsland

WooT!

 

[ice-is-forming]

And this is what climate change looks like..cheering when it rains

 

[shakespearegirl]

And this is what climate change looks like..cheering when it rains

we were in the fruit and veg shop in town when it started and the girl on the checkout shouted it’s raining and everyone in the shop started cheering!

 

[ice-is-forming]

we were in the fruit and veg shop in town when it started and the girl on the checkout shouted it’s raining and everyone in the shop started cheering!

 

[ice-is-forming]

Top tips on having your car ready to go

• Park the car facing the direction you intend to leave in.
• Make sure it’s roadworthy and fully fuelled.
• Have it packed early with valuables and documents.
• Have plenty of protective clothing, water, a fire extinguisher and woollen blankets (to wet and cover yourself in).
• Leave the key in the ignition (where others know it’ll be, in case the main driver becomes trapped or injured).
• Shut air vents.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Massive evacuations in East Gippsland, with 40,000 people told to leave the area. Right in the busiest week of the year for the tourist industry which a lot of the area is dependent on. I’ve loads of friends who live there and I’m meant to be visiting in 2 weeks. Just read about fires so intense they are generating their own lightening!

Chilling words "it is too late to leave"

EMERGENCY WARNING - BUSHFIRE
Incident Location: 5Km N Of Suggan Buggan

This Emergency Warning is being issued for Suggan Buggan.

The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave.

More details at http://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/#!/warning/10579/ …

This was the first story on Sky News (UK) at 6 am this morning, with them going live to Sky News Australia at about 6.15 am too, and it was shocking watching, so much worst than any of the other coverage over the past weeks.

They are saying the evacuation area is about half the size of Belgium, so about 600 sq miles.

I hope there's no loss of life.

ETA - Just watching ABC News live on youtube, a fire service spokesman was saying conditions are getting worst, and they expect that to continue over the next few hours.

 

[shakespearegirl]

There’s a big fire on the edges of suburban Melbourne now and they’ve evacuated 3 suburbs

Category: | Herald Sun

 

[cupid_stunt]

There’s a big fire on the edges of suburban Melbourne now and they’ve evacuated 3 suburbs

Category: | Herald Sun

Saw a live report from that area on ABC News, absolutely shocking.

Has the outskirts of Melbourne ever been threaten before?

 

[Mr.Bishie]

I’d heard about some of these fires creating thunder storms, but not realised that they are creating further fires!

 

[planetgeli]

I’d heard about some of these fires creating thunder storms, but not realised that they are creating further fires

And not just a few. 70 in the last 24 hours in NSW alone.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I’d heard about some of these fires creating thunder storms, but not realised that they are creating further fires!

Strangely enough I was just coming to post about these storms, having just read this article about them, scary shit.

Some of Australia's most devastating bushfires have fuelled their own fury by creating thunderstorm clouds capable of producing dry lightning, violent winds, black hail and even a fire tornado.

The unpredictable changes brought on by the storms can be extremely dangerous, and make fighting fires even harder.

But what is a firestorm and why does it present such a challenge for firefighters and forecasters?

When a bushfire creates a storm, firenadoes and dry lightning are just the start of the nightmare

 

[Mr.Bishie]

Sky just reporting the death of a volunteer fire fighter & two others injured, when those violent winds blew their truck over!

 

[cupid_stunt]

I knew some fires were started by arsonists, but this article suggests almost half are started on purpose!

With people deliberately lighting almost half the bushfires this season, experts are calling for more research to better understand arsonists – and stop them before their ideas catch alight.

For every 1000 people you pass on the street, one of them probably wants to light a fire and see the world burn, according to Melbourne University bushfire expert Janet Stanley.

However, there’s a simple reason she can’t confirm that estimate – because “there’s very little research on arsonists worldwide”.

The burning question: Why start a bushfire?

 

[weltweit]

There has long been an issue with arsonists in Oz, when I was there 30 years ago they would talk about it.

 

[Part-timah]

There has long been an issue with arsonists in Oz, when I was there 30 years ago they would talk about it.

A good place to start is by not calling them “fire bugs” but something more in line with the mass murder they aspire to commit.