Australian Floods: Crocodiles Swam in the Streets
Posted by terres on February 5, 2009
Crocodiles in a Street Near You
Crocodiles have been sighted swimming in floodwaters in Australia’s north Queensland, which were partially submerged as a result of massive floods caused by torrential rains, and where more than 70 percent of the state has been declared a disaster area.
A township in north Queensland, Australia. Photo: Live News. Image may be subject to copyright.
At least three sightings of crocodiles were reported in the in the town of Nomanton, “where children have been warned not to play in the floodwaters.” A report said.
Forecasters predicted another cyclone and heavy rain for the rest of the week for the disaster-stricken north Queensland.
‘Dying’ Continent: Caught Between Hell and High Water
Exceptional Australian Heat Wave. Image: Earth Observatory NASA. Caption: Rebbecca Lindsey.
This map of Australia shows how the land surface temperature from January 25 to February 1 compared to the average mid-summer temperatures the continent experienced between 2000-2008. Places where temperatures were warmer than average are red, places experiencing near-normal temperatures are white, and places where temperatures were cooler than average are blue. The data were collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite. While southern Australia was scorching, a similarly large area of northern and central Australia was several degrees cooler than it was in the previous nine years. The cool anomaly across that region is probably linked to the above-average rainfall the area has received during this year’s wet season.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) called this heat wave “exceptional,” not only for the high temperatures but for their duration. One-day records were broken in multiple cities, with temperatures in the mid-40s. In Kyancutta, South Australia, the temperature reached 48.2 degrees Celsius (118.8 degrees Fahrenheit). Many places also set records for the number of consecutive days with record-breaking heat.
“On the morning of 29 January, an exceptional event also occurred in the northern suburbs of Adelaide around 3 a.m., when strong north-westerly winds mixed hot air aloft to the surface. At RAAF Edinburgh [a regional airport], the temperature rose to 41.7°C at 3:04 a.m. Such an event appears to be without known precedent in southern Australia.” Bom said.
Related News Links:
- Torrential rain continues to drench north Queensland
- Crocodiles in the streets as floods ravage Australia’s Queensland
- Clean-up begins as rain eases in flooded north Queensland
Related Links:
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Fire Earth 
msrb said
Here’s an update by AFP
“At least 84 people were killed and entire towns razed in the worst wildfire disaster in Australian history …”
“People died in their cars as they attempted to escape the inferno — smouldering wrecks on roads outside this town told a tale of horror — while others were burnt to death in their homes.”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iJSpLmlB-kE6pqimQzAhFkv0-sGQ
feww said
Latest Update
BBC Reported: “Australian emergency crews are stepping up their efforts to tackle wildfires in the state of Victoria, as the death toll rises to 65.
“About 30,000 firefighters have been battling several major fires and the number of confirmed dead is continuing to rise.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7877243.stm