30 March 2009

The heat goes on, and so does the bushfire season

| johnboy
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The Emergency Services Agency has seen fit to extend bushfire season:

    “The official bushfire danger period will now extend until Wednesday 15 April 2009,” ESA Manager Media and Community Information Darren Cutrupi said.

    “The season traditionally finishes on 31 March each year but the continued hot and dry conditions in the ACT at the moment and lack of recent rainfall have necessitated a two week extension at this stage,” he said.

It’s been one hell of an autumn so far.

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My information is from the Victorian fires, between 2000 and 5000 firefighters used each day for the hardest parts of it as it happened. Victoria was in drought for about 13 years before black Saturday when they faced possibly the worst conditions bush fire fighters have ever been up against anywhere in the world in anyones memory, let alone Australias history. Lets help them, support your rural fire fighters. Please everyone, give all you can to keep our rural firies going. 2003 showed how close it comes to home…….. after all are we in drought?, when was the last time it rained here….really??????

Parts of bush down there hasn’t burnt for 40-60 years. So it is long over due.

That’s a pretty subjective statement. Pretty much everything between Canberra and Mt Clear did burn about six years ago which is long enough to have almost as much fine fuel as 40-60 year old scrub.

On the ABC news last night, Mark Carmody said we might see some drizzle this morning, and he was right. Big sheets of the stuff here, blotting out the surrounding hills, although the radar doesn’t show it. I can see another wave of it heading this way from Palerang (I’d say the Rossi fire is now well and truly out!).

This is in advance of the coastal system which hopefully will reach us some time today. We don’t half need it.

The NSW Rural Fire Service has extended the fire season til 30 April for Queanbeyan and Palerange Shires. Possibly other areas as well.

HEAT!?!?!? REALLY?!?!?!

Common. Myself and others have been wearing coats for weeks now! I wish it were warm atleast….

I suspect that ACT Parks don’t want rain in the ACT’s South. They are continuing with a huge burnoff around Mt Clear from Saturday 4 April to Monday 6 April 2009. I forget the figures, but the fire will be divided into divisions & sectors.

Parts of bush down there hasn’t burnt for 40-60 years. So it is long over due.

Also for a bushfire update. Last week their were 3 arsonist fires in Lyneham. However no other bushfires.

I’m not sure, it’s not an “official” prediction yet. Might be the snowies and high peaks on the ST. With a blast of cold air coming, plus the ambient moisture, anything’s possible.

It’s nuts though. 30c yesterday, possible snow next week.

ant said :

Well, we’ll see if it reaches us first! Eastern systems are so dodgey for us inland. I reckon though, looking at the maps, that as that useless High moves east, it might help to push the good stuff in to where it’s needed.

what level is snow predicted down to?

hopefully we just get rain.

Well, we’ll see if it reaches us first! Eastern systems are so dodgey for us inland. I reckon though, looking at the maps, that as that useless High moves east, it might help to push the good stuff in to where it’s needed.

earth hour obviously worked, then?

There’s some liklihood of rain this week, as a system moves in from the NE. Always a bit risky relying on coastal weather, but this one might make it far enough inland to us. As the current high moves into the tasman though, that might help push the coastal weather in to us and if it does, we’ll do OK. Then there’s something very interesting next week, some pundits are even saying snow in our region.

It’s horribly dry though, even my weeds have died. If we get soem rain before it gets properly cold, things (grass) will have a chance to start soem growth but if we get no rain until after the winter chill has struck, that’s it for any late growth.

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