The Australian bushfires - 13 December, 2019

Australia could see hottest day on record next week as Perth heatwave conditions travel east

Australia could experience its hottest day on record next week as a hot air mass building in Western Australia makes its way east.

Key points:

• Perth's blistering heat is expected to end with a cool change sweeping in on Monday
• But the hot air mass fuelling the heatwave will then head across the country
• Australia's current record high temperature of 50.7C at Oodnadatta in SA could fall

ABC,

12 December, 2019

Perth is enduring an unprecedented heatwave for December, with the city expected to hover close to 40 degrees Celsius for four consecutive days until Sunday.

But the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has warned that as a cool change sweeps in on Monday, the blistering heat will travel interstate.

"We're expecting some incredibly warm conditions as we head into next week, potentially record-breaking for a number of areas across southern Australia over the next seven days or so," BOM meteorologist Diana Eadie said.

That record was set on January 2, 1960.

Ms Eadie said there was also a chance Australia could record its hottest day as a whole towards the end of the week.

"So when you combine all of the maximum temperatures recorded on any given day, the hottest on record was on the January 7 back in 2013, when we saw an average maximum of 40.3C," she said.

"At this stage with these sorts of temperatures that we're forecasting … it looks like we could break that record over a number of consecutive days towards the end of next week.

"We will potentially see the hottest day on record across all of Australia."

A heat map of the world showing Australia in dark orange.

PHOTO

The heat goes east

The heatwave conditions saw Australia listed among the hottest countries in the world on Thursday.

Adelaide and Canberra are expecting temperatures near the 40C mark next week, but the hottest parts of the country will be further inland.

"[The heat] will creep into South Australia initially, we will start to see those temperatures rise over South Australia on Monday and Tuesday," Ms Eadie said.

"But as we go through the remainder of the week, that will extend a little bit further east and become concentrated over parts of Victoria and New South Wales as well.

"Predominantly the areas that look to be affected are north-western and central parts of Victoria, and then mostly southern and western parts of New South Wales will feel exceptional heat.

"But really all of those states and even extending into southern parts of the Northern Territory and parts of Queensland won't be immune."

Hot weather records set to fall in Perth

The first day of Perth's heatwave just missed out on the 40C forecast, peaking at 39C, but the city has another three days of temperatures close to 40C to go.

Blistering heat is a hallmark of summers in the west but this season has escalated much earlier than usual.

A wooden thermometer climbs to 40 degrees Celsius.

PHOTO: The hottest parts of the country next week are expected to be inland. (Pixabay: Gerd Altmann)

Perth recorded its earliest December day above 40C on December 3, peaking at 41.6C in what was its hottest first week of summer on record.

The city has never recorded more than two 40C days in December, but that record will be challenged this week.

Currently the city is tracking about 6C above its mean December maximum of 29.1C.

The Health Department has activated its heatwave hazard plan and is liaising with various agencies, hospitals, businesses, infrastructure providers and sporting clubs to minimise the risks of heat to the public.

Cricket continues during the smog in Sydney.

• Smoke triggered 500 smoke alarms in buildings across Sydney.
• 150 buildings evacuated in one hour due to false alarms.
• Air quality 12 times worse than levels considered “hazardous”.
• NSW Rural Fire Service confirmed 724 homes, 49 facilities and 1,582 outbuildings had been destroyed and 2.7 million hectares burned.

The pressure is mounting on Scott Morrison to do more to address climate change, as bushfires continue to burn across the country and smoke blankets Sydney. Thousands of the city’s residents are planning to attend a “climate emergency rally” this evening, where they will demand action. The event’s organisers are urging them to wear face masks as a “symbol of the climate crisis and public health disaster”. And the government has come under renewed pressure this week from a number of prominent voices, including some from its own side of politics. In a blunt speech to the National Smart Energy Summit yesterday, NSW Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean said “no one can deny” the link between bushfires and climate change. “Let’s call it what it is,” Mr Kean said. news.com.aus

NSW firefighters have worked to take advantage of easing conditions as dozens of blazes continue burning throughout the state and more than 720 homes confirmed destroyed this bushfire season. More than 100 fires remained active across NSW on Wednesday night, with two - Carrot Farm Road at Deepwater and Crown Mountain south of Glen Innes - at the watch and act alert level. Meanwhile, the NSW Rural Fire Service confirmed 724 homes, 49 facilities and 1,582 outbuildings had been destroyed and 2.7 million hectares burned over the fire season. 9News

Australia's bushfires have been so devastating, the country's forests may not be able to reabsorb the toxic carbon dioxide produced by the blazes, climate scientists say. Key points: At least 2.7 million hectares of NSW land, including "exceptionally carbon-dense" forests, have been burnt this bushfire season. Drought and intense blazes have disrupted vegetation's bushfire recovery process One academic has compared the crisis to the Amazon fires. Bushfires are normally considered to be "carbon neutral" because, unlike fossil fuels, their emissions output is reabsorbed when the vegetation in fire-affected areas regrows. However, experts fear the sheer scale and intensity of this year's unprecedented fires, coupled with worsening drought conditions, has disrupted this recovery process. ABC

Smoke from bush fires in New South Wales has severely reduced air quality in populated areas of the southeastern Australian state. On December 10, 2019, some areas of Sydney recorded air quality 12 times worse than levels considered “hazardous”.



Smoke triggered 500 smoke false alarms in buildings across Sydney xx

Thousands of protesters rallied in Sydney on Wednesday demanding urgent climate action from Australia’s government, as bush-fire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike. Sydney has endured weeks bathed in toxic smoke as hundreds of blazes have raged across the countryside, with hospitals recording a 25 per cent increase in the number of people visiting emergency departments last week. On Tuesday smoke alarms rang out across Australia’s biggest city, with thick haze triggering smoke alarms and forcing buildings to be evacuated, school children to be kept indoors, and ferries to be cancelled. The devastating fires have focused attention on climate change, with scientists saying the blazes have come earlier and with more intensity than usual due to global warming and a prolonged drought. Around 5,000 people gathered as the demonstration began, voicing anger at the government’s silence in the face of the crisis. Japan Times
https://www.thebigwobble.org/2019/12/aus-bushfire-update-smoke-triggers-500.html?spref=fb

Police are investigating the theft of roughly 25,000 litres of drinking water from a council facility in the state of New South Wales, which has been hit by severe a drought and bushfires.

The alleged thieves arrived in the town of Murwillumbah with a water tanker and a Toyota Hilux on Monday night.

Detective Chief Inspector Luke Arthurs said the act of stealing water during a time of hardship for the state was “shocking”.

He said: “This kind of theft is not acceptable. Police will continue to investigate the incident and are pleading with anyone with information to contact us.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/25000-litres-drinking-water-stolen-australia-drought-a9243401.html

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/we-hold-you-both-culpable-bushfire-victims-letter-to-aussie-leaders/news-story/2de582dd250479f7c2f60f628a19863b