Weather dominates the headlines Down-Under

Weather dominates Down-Under. It is not even summer yet but Australia is already getting temperatures in the 40's (around 100F) with severe wildfires, while New Zealand is being battered by strong winds.

NSW firefighters welcome cool change after fires destroy homes at Port Stephens

New South Wales fire crews have worked through the night strengthening containment lines around fires at Port Stephens, north of Newcastle, where about five homes have been lost.

ABC,

14 October, 2013

Dozens of residents spent the night in evacuation centres after fires threatened their homes and many were cut off from their properties due to road closures.

Earlier in Sydney, up to 100 cars were incinerated in a car park at the Olympic Park Aquatic Centre as hundreds of people enjoyed an afternoon swim.

Another property was destroyed in a blaze at Wisemans Ferry on the Hawkesbury River, north of Sydney.

Favourable weather conditions have aided fire crews overnight and there is no longer a threat to homes.

The Rural Fire Service's Brendan Doyle says firefighters will be making the most of the milder conditions.

"Today's fire conditions are much more favourable compared to yesterday's conditions. Lighter temperatures, slight winds," he said.

"These are certainly conditions that fire fighters will be using to get the upper hand on these fires.

"No total fire bans across the state. We're obviously asking people to use common sense when using fire, or anything that may start a fire."

Mr Doyle says firefighters have been back burning around homes in Port Stephens.

"Since the light rain has fallen ... that fire activity has decreased quite rapidly and we are hoping that fire fighters will get the upper hand over the coming hours," he said.

Mayor angry over lack of hazard reduction burns

Port Stephens Mayor Bruce MacKenzie has blasted Government authorities for not allowing residents to conduct hazard-reduction burns.

He says homes should not have been lost.

"I believe several house have been lost which is a disaster as far as I am concerned," he said.

"To me, all preventable if people were allowed to burn off.

"The Rural Fire Service, the politicians and the greenies have got a lot to bloody answer for because if there's five houses lost, as far as I am concerned it could have been prevented if the underscrub and the back burning and the hazard reduction had have occurred."

But New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says the criticism is not warranted.

"We are completing more hazard-reduction work today than ever before in records in New South Wales," he said.

"We've gone from an average completion rate of 50 per cent or less only six years ago to now more than 80 per cent of annual program.

"There's still a little more to do. We've got very good mechanisms in place now to assist and support landholders in getting their hazard-reduction work completed."

Meanwhile, about 100 cars were damaged or destroyed in the fast-moving grass fire near the Homebush aquatic centre about 3:00pm (AEDT).

About 500 people were evacuated from the swimming centre as fire crews fought to control the blaze.

Witnesses said they heard explosions as cars caught fire.

"They had no tyres, they were just sitting on the floor, no paint left, all burnt off, no windows. Just completely gutted. Something you'd see in a wrecking yard," witness Andrew said.

The cause of the fire is being investigated

Power outages as strong winds hit central NZ

Flights have been cancelled, trees knocked down and power cut to more than 1000 properties this morning as gale-force winds lash the centre and south of the country.

NZ Herald,
 

14 October, 2013

Metservice meteorologist Daniel Corbett said parts of Canterbury were this morning being hit by extremely strong gusts, with 200km/h being recorded on Mt Hutt.

The storm is heading north and is expected to hit Wellington about midday, where 100km/h gusts have already been recorded in parts.

All regional flights have been suspended at Wellington Airport this morning and people travelling to other parts of the country are advised to check that their flights had not been cancelled.

Electricity provider Orion said 1035 customers were this morning without power in Canterbury due to line faults and vegetation on lines.

A police spokesman said emergency services had received widespread reports of trees down around the region, as well as power lines arcing.

There were also two minor crashes in Christchurch and Rolleston about 5.30am, where vehicles had driven into trees down on the road.

A Fire Service spokesman said there were reports of roofs lifting around Geraldine and Methven as a result of strong wind.

There were also several vegetation fires around Geraldine caused by powerlines coming down on trees.

Mr Corbett said there had been over 100mm of rain in Franz Joseph in the last 24 hours and there was potential for 200-300mm in parts of Fiordland and Westland by tomorrow.

People were advised to take extra care on the roads.

"Those wind gusts are strong and they can blow stuff down. So it is batten down the hatches, hunker down if you're in these parts of New Zealand today.''

The front was expected to move to the north of the country, including Auckland, overnight, but it was not expected to be as severe.

"It's still an active spring front but it's really doing its nastiness across the South Island and central New Zealand today,'' Mr Corbett said.

Quieter weather was expected tomorrow.