Five Major Fires Already Burning In New South Wales As Temps Break 1940s Records - SMH

[hatrack]

FIVE major fires are burning in NSW as the state swelters in a heatwave that has seen decades old records fall. The state has experienced both its hottest November day and hottest November night since observations began. The mercury soared to 46.4 degrees at Tibooburra in the north-west of the state on Wednesday, breaking the previous November maximum of 46.1 degrees, set in Coonamble in 1944.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Julie Evans said the state's hottest overnight minimum record was also broken at White Cliffs on Wednesday night. The 33.3 degree temperature was more than a degree above the previous record of 31.7 degrees in Cobar, also set in 1944. Broken Hill, which is in one of the five state regions issued with a catastrophic fire danger rating, has had 11 consecutive days exceeding 35 degrees, whereas previously its longest run was only days.

The heatwave will continue today as a high pressure system in the Tasman Seas continues to bring hot north to north-westerly winds from the centre of the continent into the state. Rain in the south-west on Saturday could see temperatures there drop to the mid- to high-20s, according to the bureau, but they will remain higher until Monday in the north of the state. Sydney will also bake for the next three days, with a maximum of 41 degrees expected in Penrith and Richmond today and tomorrow. Showers are expected to bring the temperature down a 22 to 23 degrees on Monday

The NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said that even homes which were specially designed, constructed and prepared to withstand a bushfire might not be safe in areas with a catastrophic danger rating. ''Under these conditions, any fire that starts and takes hold will typically be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast-moving.''

EDIT

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/feel-the-heat-temperature-records-fall-and-fires-burn-20091119-ioz7.html

[pscot]

1. For the metricly challenged

that's 115 degrees.

[Dead_Parrot]

2. Also in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10610456

Firefighters battled bushfires in four states yesterday as eastern Australia's unrelenting heatwave pushed temperatures to record highs at the beginning of what authorities fear might become a disastrous summer.

Health officials have also warned that extreme heat could kill hundreds of vulnerable people, and that more dangers can be expected from smoke and dust storms whipped up by powerful, scorching winds.

Although Sydney escaped the worst, by yesterday afternoon other major cities were sweltering: 42C in Adelaide, 37C in Canberra, and 34C in Melbourne, which on Wednesday night endured its hottest November night on record.

Fire danger was rated as very high to extreme across most of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, with temperatures hitting 40C in many centres and soaring to 45.3C in Ceduna and 44C in Whyalla, both in SA.

For reference:
^oC -- ^oF
20 -- 68.0
21 -- 69.8
22 -- 71.6
23 -- 73.4
24 -- 75.2
25 -- 77.0
26 -- 78.8
27 -- 80.6
28 -- 82.4
29 -- 84.2
30 -- 86.0
31 -- 87.8
32 -- 89.6
33 -- 91.4
34 -- 93.2
35 -- 95.0
36 -- 96.8
37 -- 98.6
38 -- 100.4
39 -- 102.2
40 -- 104.0
41 -- 105.8
42 -- 107.6
43 -- 109.4
44 -- 111.2
45 -- 113.0
46 -- 114.8
47 -- 116.6
48 -- 118.4
49 -- 120.2
50 -- 122.0

[Fly by night]

3. Here in middle TN, I've still had no killing frost. It is six weeks late.

It is odd to be harvesting peppers less than a week before Thanksgiving. Very odd. I've lived in this holler for 40 years and have never seen an Indian Summer that lasted this long.

Even some of my trees' buds are swelling, suggesting that there's still too much sap in them this late. Could be disastrous when/if we get to cold weather (which the wooly worms suggest is right around the corner).