20 January 2009

Where are our Ant Gods now? Severe weather warning issued

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Severe warning out now and angry angry clouds in the sky.

Please send your storm photos to images@the-riotact.com

    Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce large hailstones and damaging winds in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Canberra, Cooma, Yass, Wagga Wagga, Albury and Narrandera.
    The State Emergency Service advises that people should:
    * Move your car under cover or away from trees.
    * Secure or put away loose items around your house, yard and balcony.
    * Keep clear of fallen power lines.
    * Unplug computers and appliances.
    * Avoid using the phone during the storm.
    * Stay indoors away from windows, and keep children and pets indoors as well.
    * For emergency help in floods and storms, ring the SES (NSW and ACT) on 132 500

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Yes! It’s always depressing as well. Bushfires make everyone edgy. People niggle and fight. There were so many break-ups after the 2003 fires.

It cleared (the smell at least) later in the night so I opened the windows, and then woke in teh early hours to more smoke, so closed them again. Nice and cool and cloudy now and no smell of smoke.

We are in for a very hot, dry week. It’ll be very disappointing if the only respite, the evening easterly, comes laden with bushfire smoke.

It had pretty much cleared where I was by the time I went walking in the early hours. Just the nice breeze left by then!

It is getting worse. I could see the main Taj Mahal at HQ JOC before, but now it’s blotted out, means the smoke’s getting thicker. Asthmatics need to be careful, take your ventolin and close up the house.

Yeah smells pretty gross right now.

Ngunnawal too 🙂

It will get worse. It’s thick and fresh.

Gramps noticed a smell like burning rubber on the way to the Marketplace and wondered what it was. It’s only just hitting us at Ngunnawal now. Pee-ewwww! It stinks!! You wouldn’t want to have washing on the line!

I watched it come. At first I thought it was ground mist around HQ JOC, then realised that the easterly was coming, and pushing the bushfire smoke with it. I watched it creep across Burbong, and saw it also coming across the Flat, and began closing windows and had some ventolin! I forgot some little vent windows though, and then smelt fresh-burned bushland, and ran around closing those, and then taped up the outside vent for my kitchen exhaust fan which is east-facing.

This smoke is strong, and thick. Such a shame, as you say, as the easterly is cold and lovely. It’s 15c up here outside, but 25 inside since I’ve closed the place up.

What next! *sigh* I’m not looking forward to having to shut the house up while it’s still so warm. What a nuisance ….

Severe Smoke Warning issued (by me). There’s a huge pall of fresh bushfire smoke headed towards Canberra. Tonight’s cold easterly has brought with it the smoke from the coast fires, and it crept in from the east at sunset, blotting out everything. I’ve closed my windows and taped up the exhaust fan vents as it’s bloody awful, thick acrid stuff.

Be ready.

I reckon any ol’ ant can whoop any ol’ termite, BerraBo68! I’m glad they escaped. *hehe*

I saw a smallish Ark made of paddle pops sticksa and loaded up with two ants of every species sail by this morning…

They just gotta hope them damned termites missed the boat there, Thumper…

Granny said :

Are there even any ants left in Canberra after all these storms? This could be the great ant disaster of 2009 ….

Sorry Granny, I think my 4cm and thick as my thumb ant has now evolved. I swear I saw him working down in woollies at Kambah yesterday. That said, I’m spending the weekend gardening so I’ll let you know how the ones that survived the recently laid ant-rid are getting on.

Are there even any ants left in Canberra after all these storms? This could be the great ant disaster of 2009 ….

I’m glad to hear it, I was considering going out in the car to get some serious wet driving experience, but decided against it when the world turned opaque white and wet. I’m not sure I’d have the sense to pull over unless I saw others doing it.

Timberwolf6510:33 pm 22 Jan 09

I got caught in the storm heading towards phillip from Mugga Lane, quite scary, had to pull off the road as the windscreen wipers couldn’t keep up with the gallons of water hitting the wind screen, about 4 other cars joined me.

There were parts of the road that were like rivers, and I had water gushing over the bonnet as I had no choice but to go through them (I drive an XR6 Turbo ) Wishing I was in a land cruiser at this stage.
But the beautiful yellow glow made it all worth while, it was amazingly calming.

hehe mine’s full of water again too. A blocked drain out the front of it, maintenance request put in today. Fortunately, I guess, I think more of the land lord’s stuff is wet than mine

Holden Caulfield said :

The storm broke our Foxtel. 🙁

Mine too.

And the garage flooded again, but frankly I’d rather that then watch the garden turn into a dustbowl. The yellow light was . . .just wow. . .

Wow, that was a nice storm that just passed over!

The glowing orange sky looks amazing as well.

Wonder how much dumped down and if Deakin flooded? 😀

Holden Caulfield7:56 pm 22 Jan 09

The storm broke our Foxtel. 🙁

Holden Caulfield7:30 pm 22 Jan 09

Just checking out the radar to see if the overcast weather will bring any rain. Judge for yourself…
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh177/Holden-Caulfield/IDR403.gif

Click below for the current radar link.
http://mirror.bom.gov.au/products/IDR403.shtml

Holden Caulfield6:55 pm 22 Jan 09

This storm must have been the thing responsible for work’s iiNet ADSL1 internet connection going down for the best part of 40 hours. 🙁

Maybe one day Fyshwick will reach ADSL2+ status.

Fiona, you can call the SES for things like that. They’ll come along and pump it as well as sandbag it if need be.

You’re kidding! My garage floods in heavy downpours, I assumed it was something I had to put up with and just arranged things so most things directly on the ground are waterproof. Water runs from my uphill neighbour through my yard and garage and down through the downhill neighbour’s side, and the drains give up and vomit more water.

I wouldn’t trouble the SES for something like that, I see them being for big emergencies like trees on houses or roofs blown off.

Riding through [or jumping in] puddles – good times!

I got drenched to the bone twice on my ride home…Once 1/2 way along Gunghalin Dr from Barton Hwy and once closer to home. Full soakings, wet socks , squelchy feet – and all I could do was push through to get home.

Was so bad I had to stop in a torrential downpour to put my ipod and phone in my bag lest they get soaked in my pockets.

Managed a record 52 minutes though – compared to my usual 60 – maybe it was the lower temperature ?

I got home with a big smile on my face anyway – one can never hide the kid in me when playing in the rain 🙂

It seems the south side was the worst hit.
I didn’t get home until about 1:30 am after clambering around on roofs in my orange overalls.
There’s supposed to be more thunderstorms tonight, thou no word on how bad they’ll be yet.

Never been to NZ – but don’t worry about the rush, the plant I have got pruned by sheep and chooks and kept throwing up more leaves, as long as the roots are ok your plant should survive.

Jem’s in Belconnen is the only place I knew that has pond plants, but they keep them out back so you have to remember to ask. I’ll visit Bliss, thanks for the info.

@Sheepgroper (has to be a Kiwi?)…Bliss at Pialligo is good…go when Ian is back from leave next week (he’s there weekdays only)

Looks like there’s more coming from the west, might not be quite as heavy though. All teh yellow has moved to the east. I got 35mm so far and hope for more.

Some pictures and footage on the thread about the system on weatherzone
http://forum.weatherzone.com.au/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=002624;p=8#000112

ramblingted said :

Put brand new Blue Pickerel Rush in the front pond 3 days ago….5 minutes of marble size hail and its shredded!

Where’d you get it from? Bunnings Tuggeranong had pond plants before the current drought, but have dispensed with pond stuff now.

I was driving around Woden half an hour ago and it was cool, huge puddles by the side of the road, rain bucketing down so hard it was difficult to see, I’ve not had the chance to drive in weather like this often since getting my Learners so I enjoyed myself hugely. It does help having a car that sticks to the road.

I was just watching Ten and a message just flashed up about severe thunderstorm, hail etc.

BOM looks pretty heavy as well.

* copious *

My line of sight from the sixth floor here to where I need to walk to is dominated by a very big black cloud and copies amounts of precipitation moving in an inderterminate direction. Methinks I’m about to get a second shower. Might find a plastic bag to wrap the mobile phones in!

Primal said :

Weston Creek copping a good thumping just at the moment…

aye. My garage in Holder is flooding :\ stupid clogged drains.

I washed my car yesterday! you can blame me!!!

Calwell is wet. Very wet.

Weston Creek copping a good thumping just at the moment…

Hmmm, maybe she heard things, or she’s just crazy.

Felix the Cat6:13 pm 20 Jan 09

chewy14 said :

Benmac,

There are roadworks going on at the corner of Sandford St and Gungahlin drive where they have dug up some of the road. Could that be it?

Plenty of warning signs out…we are talking about Canberra drivers though!

Felix the Cat6:12 pm 20 Jan 09

Ozhair said :

Aww. the weather bureau made it sound like we were gonna get real “Wrath of God” type stuff…

They have to do that so they cover their arses. Last time there was a big storm and they didn’t warn everybody people were threatening legal action. It’s not like BOM created the rain and hail.

Put brand new Blue Pickerel Rush in the front pond 3 days ago….5 minutes of marble size hail and its shredded!

It’s just kind of still and muggy here now.

It’s coming. Batten down.

Holden Caulfield4:49 pm 20 Jan 09

Brace yourselves, looks like there is more on the way…

http://mirror.bom.gov.au/products/IDR403.shtml

We’re getting good solid showers now, with a few good growly rumbles of thunder thrown in for good measure. Oh, and a bit of a crack!

neanderthalsis4:39 pm 20 Jan 09

BenMac said :

OT, has anyone heard about a huge hole near Mitchell on Gungahlin Drive. .

It’s called Kaleen…

* ducks and runs for cover.

Benmac,

There are roadworks going on at the corner of Sandford St and Gungahlin drive where they have dug up some of the road. Could that be it?

been getting heavy rain/hail in barton

Ill be riding home in this in 10 minutes….Hopefully it stays light

Stopped after about 1 min.

OT, has anyone heard about a huge hole near Mitchell on Gungahlin Drive. My wife said she heard on the radio that a hole had caused a car accident. I went by at 3pm and everything seemed fine.

more storms tomorrow?

Just starting to lightly rain in Gungahlin, although the sun is still out.

and now the brilliant sun is back, making it muggy and uncomfortable.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy3:18 pm 20 Jan 09

Very heavy in Jerra. No hail to report yet.

la mente torbida3:18 pm 20 Jan 09

Raining in Civic as I speak

Holden Caulfield3:13 pm 20 Jan 09

Pretty serious rain falling in Fyshwick right now, with the odd hailstone thrown in for good measure.

pea sized hail still hurts. got caught between the car i had just locked and the closed office door.

Madame Workalot3:11 pm 20 Jan 09

Hail in Barton – just finished

Growling Ferret3:11 pm 20 Jan 09

30 seconds of hail in the Parkes and then its all over…

Aww. the weather bureau made it sound like we were gonna get real “Wrath of God” type stuff…

Nothing in my end of Gungahlin as yet, but we’ve got some black clouds coming over.

neanderthalsis2:56 pm 20 Jan 09

A few minutes of light rain at Barton, but there should be more coming throughtout the afternoon.

The BoM radar shows a line of storms heading south-east over the south of the city towards Captains Flat and the coast.

okay, it’s back. Heavy but not hailing.

There was really heavy rain (and hail) in Chifley. It lasted about 15 minutes or so. It’s only raining very lightly now I hope we get more this afternoon.

nothing citywise…

Fizzer in Kambah too; although the cockatoos are thrilled to bits and the trouble spot in my guttering overflowed.

Perhaps there is more coming?

yeah it was pretty heavy for 10 minutes at Holder, but I think it’s probably gone, adn the sun will come out and the grass will be dry by 5.

Not too concerned!

Light showers of chubby rain passing through Southside currently.

My ants and bees predicted this one too, so I have my ummbrella…

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