Australia's drought and bushfires, a personal view

[Astronuc]

Yes, so much larger than anything before

Yes, unprecedented. Yet, "Authorities are bracing for a dangerous new phase in the bushfires tonight, with high temperatures and strong winds set to exacerbate the already devastating fire conditions across the country." Unimaginable.

https://www.news.com.au/national/new-south-wales-victoria-and-south-australia-bushfires-crisis-day-of-hell-arrives/live-coverage/8461073cb45dfc0abd5d2048410b221f

And - "Meanwhile, a picture of devastation is emerging on Kangaroo Island in South Australia – half of which has been razed by an out-of-control blaze that has killed at least two people." Half of kangaroo island!

https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires...nds-of-koalas-feared-injured-or-dead-c-632614

https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/history-and-incidents/past-bushfires
"Fire agencies responded to more than 1,000 fires across Victoria from mid-December 2006 to mid-March 2007. The total area burned exceeded 1,200,000 hectares." The current set of fires has already covered 5 times that, > 6.3M hectares.

https://www.news.com.au/national/severe-weather-update-bom-maps-wind-change-across-fire-affected-regions/video/63f1d62d6a15a4cd876bf436287e5c34

 

[davenn]

Yes, unprecedented.

uh huh ... I gave your post a sad emoji, not because it was bad, but because of the devastation more pic's and maps in ...
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/christmas-in-australia.982266/#post-6281908

 

[Astronuc]

I am surprised by Kangaroo Island. The climate is not as severe as around Sydney at the moment. One site describes the climate as "Kangaroo Island never really gets too hot or too cold. In fact, the average temperature here is between 11 and 19°C. Winters (June to September) are mild and wet, while summers (December to February) are warm and dry." https://kangarooisland-australia.com/kangaroo-island-weather.php

It's surrounded by water, yet dry enough to have a massive bushfire!

 

[davenn]

One site describes the climate as "Kangaroo Island never really gets too hot or too cold. In fact, the average temperature here is between 11 and 19°C. Winters (June to September) are mild and wet, while summers (December to February) are warm and dry." https://kangarooisland-australia.com/kangaroo-island-weather.php

Yes, that is typical but the last few days has seen temps into the low 40's
well above average

https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/@2068768/historic

 

[Astronuc]

Looking back, I found the following comment in 2011 reflecting on the fire seasons in the 1970s: "A scientist warns Australia faces a catastrophic bushfire risk, similar to a summer of the mid-1970s when 15 per cent of the continent went up in flames." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-06/bushfires-summer-csiro-warning/3317630

I remember vividly the 1969 bushfire between Melbourne and Geelong. "On the 8th January 1969, 280 fires broke out in Victoria. Of these,12 grass fires reached major proportions and burnt out 250,000 hectares. Areas seriously affected included Lara, Daylesford, Dulgana, Yea, Darraweit, Kangaroo Flat and Korongvale. Twenty-three people died, including 17 motorists at Lara, trapped on the Geelong to Melbourne freeway. The fires also destroyed 230 houses, 21 other buildings and more than 12,000 stock."
http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/disaster/fire/display/95415-1969-lara-bushfire

It was personal since my grandfather was station master in Lara. I believe he had just left the position and moved to Melbourne. He relayed the devastation of various landmarks, such as the grain silos, we used to visit. My brother and I would spend holidays and weekends (back in the early 1960s) in Lara and just hang out at the train station and play in the rail yard.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

From Twitter:

14 images showing the devastation from the Australian fires

 

[Astronuc]

Pyro-cumulonimbus clouds propagate fire by starting new fires.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/bushfires-australia-thunderstorms

 

[WWGD]

Please keep us posted. I will look it up on the web but locals tend to know more details. And good luck, hope you won't be in the news much longer -- at least not for the wrong reasons.

 

[fresh_42]

I found this video, which gives a good impression of what we are talking about.

 

[anorlunda]

I found this video, which gives a good impression of what we are talking about.

OMG that is fast. Very scary.