opplevelse
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Lovely warm weather with a smoke haze over the city of Melbourne over the last few days 28-30C
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Today I had the oportunity to help do some repair work at the Children First Foundation ( http://www.childrenfirstfoundation.com/ )farm house near Kilmore. The Kilmore East fire started nearby the farmhouse and the fire got within 5m of the house, but 4 CFA trucks were able to save the house (which actually was subject to Ch9's Backyard Blitz!)
Anyway, a few pics. Didnt take too many as there was too much to do (click for larger).
Smoke over Melbourne at 7:30 this morning
The Childrens playground was destroyed
This was a slide
I dont think the sign is necessary any more (I actually saved this from the tip to be used as a memorial)
I cant remember but I think it was a crawlling tube in the playground
Not much left in the paddocks
Looking south from the farmhouse
A few more to come
The Rotary club sign at the front gate did not fare too well
Neither did the pine plantation
In the end the area was made safe for the kids again
The 110km/hr sign on the Hume near the Clonbinane exit
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I am sure everyone in Australia appreciates your sympathies
Chins up, now is time to rebuildThese are my experiences for the day written to friends in Oslo ...
Dear all,I know many of you and though not directly affected by the fires I thought I would share my thoughts so you might gain an insight into what happened on Saturday 7th February 2009.
After 2 and a bit years in Oslo I was not prepared for this when I returned to Melbourne in December.
We were warned. It was advised by the Bureau of Meteorology that Saturday would be the most extreme fire day imaginable.
A week before we had experience 3 days of 40+ temps in a row, and we had become somewhat accustomed to the heat ... but that went away. 40+ days are not uncommon in Melbourne at this time of year, but to have 3 of them in a row is.
Friday was a pleasant day, about 30C not much wind and relatively humid. The forecast for Saturday was 44C but for Sunday it was 23C. People were asking how on earth it could reach such a high temp on Saturday after a week of reasonably mild temps (Mid to late 20s) and with a forecast of a cool Sunday? Friday night I was out with friends and it had not really cooled down by 2am.
Saturday morning we woke to 34C by 10am with fresh Northerlies. By midday the temperature in the leafy Eastern suburbs of Melbourne had risen to 41.1C in the shade and the wind had picked up. We took our 5 month old daughter outside for a swim in the pool, but quickly came back inside as it was just too hot even with the cool water.
Victoria is parched dry at the moment. We shower with buckets in the shower to save the water and put it on the garden that we are not allowed to water.
Cars are dirty because you are not allowed to wash them, and all lawns have died because you are not allowed to water them. There is no water and no rain since early December.
The wind kept increasing. I have travelled throughout much of Australia and have experienced heat in excess of 45C many times (51 was my hottest in WA near Tom Price), but never have I experienced anything like this. The wind was gusting to 50knts, that is 90km/h (25m/s), and the temperature kept rising. By 3pm it was 46.4C in Melbourne with the humidity down to 5%, the hottest day on record.
I ventured outside and it was like a blast furnace. I cannot think of a better way to describe it. As many of you know I am a big weather buff ... I had never experienced anything remotely close, and commented on a weather forum at the time "God help those in the bush if a fire gets hold", but they already knew.
The first report of serious fires began filtering in over 774AM ABC radio at about 1pm.
At 4pm the cool change we had been expecting had reached Aireys Inlet on the coast and was heading towards Melbourne and the fires. Normally a cool change would be a welcome thing, but by the time it reached the fires it wasn't. Imagine a fire that had burnt 20km with a 1km wide front, the cool change and associated wind gusts in a different direction just made that into a fire which had burnt 1km with a 20km wide front.
The temperature dropped from 46C to 28C in about 20minutes ... but it was false hope.
I was closely involved in fighting the 2003 bushfires at Mt Hotham in central Victoria. Those fires burnt over 1.3 million hectares, an area about 25% of that of southern Norway. They scared me. Watching 30m high trees erupt into eucalypt oil fueled flames in front of you does that. It humbles you. But the ferocity of those was nothing compared to this. I cannot imagine.
Communities have literally been wiped from the planet, Kinglake, Marysville two of the prettiest country towns in the world now no longer exist. Imagine Geilo, Hemsedal, Hovden vanishing.
Everyone I know in Victoria has been affected in some way. My father has lost a work collegue and his family, my friend, a CFA volunteer (volunteer fire fighter) knows of at least 7 friends of his who lost their lives.
This is a tragedy on a scale unimaginable, it has affected all Australians.
The final death toll is likely to be close to, if not above 300.
I urge you all to donate to the Red Cross as Simon suggested. Apart from the lives lost there are thousands of others who have literally lost everything.
Red Cross appeal :unsure:
http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_em...appeal-2009.htm
Sorry for the long winded email, but I just wanted to share my thoughts.
In condolence,
James, Erin and Elisabeth
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It is very subdued at work today. Fires are still threatening the NE communities around Beechworth etc. and there is a risk that if it gets into the Alpine Nat Park, a fire like what occured in 2003 may result (when 1.3Million Hectares was burnt). I fought those fires.
Re-reading this thread is a little chilling to be honest as my posts were before any fires actually had taken hold.
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Death toll from this tragedy is up to 108 now :lol:
The scenes of devestation have been simply extraordinary, and PyroCu have created lighting which has started still more fires. Weather conditions have eased somewhat, but there are still areas of major concern in the NE of Victoria :lol: around Beechworth.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/bushfires/
Has it been getting any coverage in the UK ... the entire State, and indeed the country is struggling to cope with this ... and it is not over yet
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EXTRAORDINARY video of Marysville
http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200902/r337253_1529939.asx
But from the CFA
Further update on the Marysville township:We understand that everyone is safe in Marysville and are assembled at Gallipoli Park. Emergency response crews are working on getting emergency services into the town; however crews were experiencing difficulty gaining access to the town due to trees falling across the road. People are reminded to remain at Gallipoli Park until advised by DSE or CFA authorities that it is safe to leave. Vic SES and the Red Cross are organising delivery of food and drink to the residents and fire fighters who are sheltering at the Gallipoli Park relief centre.
Stay tuned to ABC radio to hear further details on this fire as they come to hand.
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Official death toll is now 26 but 8 people in intensive care at the alfred (major hospital) and many towns have not been able to be searched as the fires are still cutting off access.
Pyrocumulus have been creating havoc with dry lightningstarting many new fires, and an unstable band of thunderstorms is now moving through the area. While the cool front has made things more pleasent in Melbourne it is not good news for the fires as all it does is change the wind direction, which if you can imagine, changes a fire which has burnt 20km with a 1km wide front, into a 20km wide front ...
Entire towns have been wiped from the face of the planet, with reports of just one building left standing in Marysville ... one of the prettiest towns I have ever been to.
Extrodinary weather, from 46.4C here yesterday, it is now a pleasent cool 22C, and a max of 24 is expected.
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14 people confirmed dead with fears of up to 40
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http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/bushfires/
Friends family is holed up in their farm right in the firing line ... she has just called and is distraught, hasnt heard anything for a while
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Cool change has arrived, but that is very bad news for the fires ...
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46.4C which is alltime record temp. in Melbourne incredibly strong winds 6 major fires around built up areas.
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You can monitor the situation from this live stream
http://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/radio/?nav=true
Just went outside, my eyes are stinging from the heat ... seriously extrodinary ... someone mentioned apocalyptic ... an appropriate word, and probably not overstating it. Fires with fronts 20km wide, with flames 20-30m high ... listen to the link above.
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This is seriously unbeliveable ... 46.2C outside Your eyes sting in the heat, fires everywhere across the state. Power network breaking down. All trains stopped across the state ... and cool change still at least 4 hrs away.
This is about 2hrs old
Simply unbelievable ... radio is going crazy with reports of fires etc ...
I will try and find a live stream if anyone is interested
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Fires now popping up around Melbourne, 44.4C here wind at 40kts still and no cool change in the near future.
You can see the smoke plumes on the radar ... and if you know Melbourne these fires are on the outer edge of the city.
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God help anyone in the bush today. It is midday, 41.1C outside already in Melbourne, very very strong North Westerly winds, gusting to 41kt, humidity is around the 10% mark. Total fire ban declared for the state (obviously) but my god, I would hate to think what will happen if a fire gets hold.
We have all been told to remain indoors, refrain from driving or any other activities which might create a spark ... it is seriously oppressive outside. In my 30+ years I do not ever recall conditions like this in Melbourne
It is scary.
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44C expected here tomorrow (melbourne) with the highest level of fire alert in over 30 years ... low humid high winds and extreme temps (44-47C over much of the state) ... it will be awful. But in typical Melbourne fashion they are expecting a 10-20C temp drop in as many minutes when the cool change comes through tomorrow afternoon. While that will drop the temp to about 25C, it will suck if there are any fires.
I was up in Brisbane yesterday, and something like 62% of the state is a declared disaster zone .. that is an area larger than Britain!
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It has cooled right down now, todays max was only 30 or thereabouts, and it felt quite cool. Overnight mins have been above 20 for something like 7 or 8 days in a row. that is a record I think.
TC Ellie hit QLD with a bit of rain and a bit of wind, but nothing amazing. Heading up there tomorrow for work, but fortunately dont need to fly as far as I thought, only going to Brisbane (2hrs or so)
More warm weather on the way and still no rain for southern Australia ... it is bone dry here.
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Thanks J07 ... that is one of the funniest things I have seen in a while LOL LOL our friends over the tasman can be a little special sometimes ... you might actually give us a run for our money in the cricket tonight though!
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Extreme heat and bushfires in the south, and Tropical Cyclone Ellie in the North! ... and I have to fly up to Northern Queensland later this week for work (just south of where the cyclone is due to hit)!
:lol: -
It was actually an 8C temp drop in as many minutes. That is not unusual for Melbourne, and days in the 40's is not unusual either during Summer. What is unusual is having 3 days of it in a row, and something like 5 consecutive days above 35C.
Melbourne is renowned for having "4 seasons in one day" and when the cool change comes through it hits with a vengeance. The Northerly picks up ahead of the front and then the temp plummets as the wind rapidly swings around to a southerly or southwesterly.
This is the temp and wind direction for that day
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/station.jsp?...p;dt=30/01/2009
A lady next door to where I am staying was found unconcious and rushed to hospital, we actually moved our 5 month old to my inlaws house which had better aircon.
It is now a very muggy 34C at 4:30pm with a humid around 40-50% ... it is almost worse than the 45C! I was in Perth earlier in the week that was slightly more bareable.
I'll update the graphing script so it shows the last week instead of the last 3 days
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opplevelse - did it thunder in Melbourne after the maximum plummeted from +44C to +27C?
No, not enough moisture for any serious convection. Very low humidities, which provided some relief for us humans, but provided appalling fire conditions
. I was involved in fighting the 2003 alpine fires here in Victoria which burnt over 1.5million hectares of land ... that was huge, and the humidites then were higher than they have been recently. -
A bit warmer than Norway then.
Only a little ...
out of the frying pan into the fire ... -
I find myself in Melbourne Australia for the moment, and well ... it has been "interesting"
Melbourne temps over the last few days have been just silly hot....
Tuesday 36.4
Wed 43.4
Thursday 44.3
Friday 45.1
Power outages and public transport has all but melted down ... Melbourne is normally hot in summer, but not normally this hot ...
This is a current graph. It will update and only takes readings every hour (hence it missed the max of 45.1C)
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This was a couple of weeks ago now.
ahhh was sitting at the pub waiting for some friends when i read this, I must have missed the dates ... d'oh
Chins up, now is time to rebuild
:lol:
. I was involved in fighting the 2003 alpine fires here in Victoria which burnt over 1.5million hectares of land ... that was huge, and the humidites then were higher than they have been recently.
out of the frying pan into the fire ...
Australian Weather - Summer 2009
in Hurricanes, Cyclones and Extreme weather worldwide
Posted
Yep waiting for the wind here in Melbourne.
It is all calm at the moment but they are talking about sustained 40-50KNOTS with gusts to 70-80 kts!!!! Bloody hell!