Capital region residents have been advised to check their bushfire survival plans as several districts face extreme fire danger ratings today (30 October).
A total fire ban has been issued for the Southern Ranges (which encompasses the Goulburn Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan, Yass Valley and Queanbeyan-Palerang council areas) with an extreme fire danger, while Canberra, the Far South Coast and Monaro Alpine areas have a high fire danger risk.
The new fire danger rating system advises people should be ready to act under these conditions.
The ACT Government has closed Googong Foreshores as a result, which means there’s no access to recreation areas, the boating ramp, walks or car park during this time.
Googong Foreshores will reopen when the total fire ban has been lifted.
It’s as a severe weather warning has been issued for much of south-east NSW and the Territory by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) today.
Vigorous west-to-northwesterly winds will start blowing ahead of an approaching cold front, with conditions forecast to ease below warning thresholds in the evening.
Damaging wind gusts in excess of 90 km/h are possible in the Snowy Mountains area from mid-morning, before extending to the Goulburn Valley and parts of the South Coast and Illawarra districts in the afternoon.
While damaging winds averaging 80 to 90 km/h with peak gusts exceeding 125 km/h are possible for parts of the Snowies above 1900 metres in the morning.
Locations which could be impacted include Braidwood, Goulburn, Cooma, Bombala, Charlotte Pass, Thredbo, Bredbo, Adaminaby and Nimmitabel.
The State Emergency Service advises that people should:
- Move vehicles under cover or away from trees
- Secure or put away loose items around your house, yard and balcony
- Keep at least 8 metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised, such as fences
- Trees that have been damaged by fire are likely to be more unstable and more likely to fall
- Report fallen power lines to either Ausgrid (131 388), Endeavour Energy (131 003), Essential Energy (132 080) or Evoenergy (131 093) as shown on your power bill
- Stay vigilant and monitor conditions. Note that the landscape may have changed following bushfires.
For emergency help in floods and storms, ring your local SES Unit on 132 500.