Southern Australia Burning in Another Day of Extreme Temperatures
Posted by feww on January 17, 2014
EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
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Hundreds ordered to evacuate as bushfires continue to rage out of control
A massive 45,000-hectare bushfire in Victoria is creating its own weather system, as authorities declare multiple emergency warnings in the worst hit areas.
A 12-km convection column, known as a pyrocumulonimbus cloud [pyro-cb,] has been creating its own weather above the Grampians fire, including thunderstorms and lightning, said a report.
The American Meteorological Society describes pyro-cb as “a cumulus cloud formed by a rising thermal from a fire, or enhanced by buoyant plume emissions from an industrial combustion process.”
Image shows a pyro-cb column forming above the Grampians fire. Screen dump from ABC Australia Video clip.
Hundreds of bushfire are burning across Australia including more than 70 in the state of Victoria, which are raging out of control. Dozens more blazes are burring in South Australia, West Australia and at least 45 in New South Wales.
Officials have confirmed that a woman was killed in the Grampians fire at Roses Gap, whilst a number of homes were destroyed in South Australia’s Eden Valley northeast of Adelaide, said a report.
The flames are spreading so fast, they were described as being like “running water” by a helicopter crew monitoring the disaster areas.
Authorities also fear that up to 25 fires currently burning uncontrollably east of Victoria could join to form a mega fire measuring at least 500,000 hectares (1.2 million acres).
More than 1,000 fires across Southern Australia have been sparked by lightning since last week.
Developing story …
Related Links
- Adelaide World’s Hottest City at 43.3°C January 16, 2014
- Uncontrolled Bushfires Rage in Victoria and South Australia January 15, 2014
- Australia: Temperatures Continue to Soar January 14, 2014
- Extreme Heat Wave Setting Australia on Fire January 13, 2014
- Record Heat Scorching Australia January 3, 2014
- Major Heatwave Enters 5th Day in Australia December 16, 2013
- Australia’s Bushfire Losses Top 1,000 October 25, 2013
- Costs of Back-to-back Disasters in Australia Continue to Mount October 22, 2013
- Australia Declares Emergency as NSW Bushfires Destroy “Hundreds of Homes” October 17, 2013
- Back-to-Back Disasters Could Hit Australia: FIRE-EARTH Forecast [Index of related links since 2007]
Fire Earth 
juantxomateu said
Reblogged this on E C O L O G I S T I C A L.