FIRE-EARTH Alert: Heatwave Hits S. Australia

• CJ Members
• EAC
• OC Teams

Adelaide temp. hits 40ºC, its hottest Christmas on record since 1945

[Analysis and forecasting by FIRE-EARTH Science Team]

• Details are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

Advertisements

South Australia on Fire

Catastrophic bushfire burning in South Australia kills three, thousands of animals

Thousands of animals burned alive by monster fire that has also killed up to three people, said a report.

Locals on social media estimate that as many as 9,000 pigs may have been burned alive in the Wasleys Piggery, one of the state’s largest pig farms.

• The massive fire has a 40km front and is burning uncontrollably.
• It’s burning north of Adelaide, and has a 211km perimeter, said the local fire chief, adding that there was a continuous fire line from Adelaide to Port Pirie.
• “We also know that there are many homes, sheds, crops and livestock losses due to the active fire front, I can’t give you exact figures at this point,” said South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill.
• Properties in Tarlee, Freeling and Kapunda have been affected by the blaze, which had burned more than 85,700 hectares on Wednesday.
• About 1,000 people are working to fight the blaze including 70 appliances on the ground along with 340 volunteer firefighters.
• The blaze has destroyed homes and buildings and was headed toward the wine-growing region of the Barossa Valley, said a report.

A Tsunami of Fire

The front of a massive bushfire nears a house at Mallala, north of Adelaide, November 25 2015. Credit: ABS News (Aus)

Hay bales catch alight during the catastrophic Mallala fire in South Australia. Image credit: ABC News/Tony Hill

A big fire burns in crops in the Mallala area, north of Adelaide, November 25 2015. Image credit: Supplied by Walco Seed Cleaning/ via ABC News (Aus)

More images posted at Bushfire burns north of Adelaide

More information at www.cfs.sa.gov.au

Earthquake Strikes South Australia

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
NIGHTMARE SCENARIO 08
.

Magnitude 4.7 EQ Strikes South Australia

Centered at 32.736°S, 139.537°E, the quake struck at a depth of about 15.4km, according to USGS/EHP.

EQ Details

Magnitude: 4.7Mw
Event Time: 2014-04-29 09:54:56 UTC
Location: 32.736°S, 139.537°E Depth: 15.4km (9.6mi)
Nearby Cities:

• 70km (43mi) ENE of Peterborough, Australia
• 150km (93mi) ENE of Port Pirie, Australia
• 258km (160mi) NNE of Adelaide, Australia

EQ Location Map

Source: USGS/EHP.

Deadliest, and Largest Australian Earthquakes

The deadliest earthquake to strike Australia so far occurred on December 28, 1989. The quake struck near Newcastle, NSW, killing at least 13 people, and causing A$5.3 billion in damage.

The largest recorded earthquake to strike Australian continent occurred on November 19, 1906 off west coast of WA. The magnitude 7.5 quake was centered at 111.8E , 19.1S.

The largest onshore quake was a magnitude 7.3 event which struck near Meeberrie, WA, exactly 73 years ago. (source: the University of western Australia).

Southern Australia Burning in Another Day of Extreme Temperatures

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
.

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 …

• Australia’s National Warnings Summary

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]

Deadly Weather in Your Area?

Extremes of Weather Wreak Havoc Across the Globe

A for Adelaide heat wave (Australia)

Adelaide’s extreme hot weather has officially entered the record books as the city’s first ever heatwave in November.

Adelaide has experienced a week of soaring temperatures in the 35 – 40 degrees Celsius range.

More bushfire and sandstorms? Lots of it!

“You take one look at the satellite images of Australia and wonder when! Because it looks so imminent!” A reader commenting on the future of Australia as a habitable continent.

Australia UV Chart. The chart shows maximum clear sky UV Index at noon. Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2009, Bureau of Meteorology

B for Beijing’s November Snow [over-seeding the clouds?]

At least 21 people have perished in heavy snow in China including four children who reportedly died when two school canteens collapsed, China’s official news agency Xinhua reported.

“As of 5 p.m. Friday, more than 9,000 buildings collapsed and about 190,400 hectares of crops were affected, causing direct economic losses of around 4.5 billion yuan (about 659 million U.S. dollars), ministry said.”

Nearly 8 million people have been affected by the snow, of whom about 160,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes.

A work shed damaged by heavy snow is seen in Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan Province, Nov. 12, 2009. Six people were killed and 34 others got hurt or sick during the recent heavy snowfall in Henan, according to the provincial government. (Xinhua/Zhao Peng). Image may be subject to copyright.

F for flooded mid-Atlantic coastal areas

Nor’easter fed on remnants of Storm Ida battered  mid-Atlantic coast

The governors of Virginia, Delaware and New York called up the National Guard to help with evacuations of hundreds of people using special trucks that operate in high water, the US Defense Department reported.

A coastal storm fed on remnants of Idea developed into a nor’easter with hurricane strength winds battering the mid-Atlantic coast from northeast North Carolina to New Jersey. It felled trees, flooded vast areas and left at least 5 dead with another three people missing.

WTKR reporter Kurt Williams encounters flooding up to his chest in the streets of Norfolk, VA. frame grab from CNN video.

M for the most powerful storm of the year to strike Britain

Britain was struck by “the most powerful storm of the year” yesterday as forecasters predicted fierce winds and flooding in many areas.

“For England it is probably likely to be the strongest winds this year,” British Met Office said. “It is not a surprise to see it. It is certainly a feature of weather at this time of year but 80 mph [129 km/h] is certainly getting in to the realms of winds where you are likely to see disruption due to structural damage, for instance trees coming down.”

The Met Office issued 85 flood watches, 20 flood warnings including a severe flood warning for Wales and the south of England last night as the weather system battered Britain. Flooded roads brought traffic to a standstill and forced delays and cancellations of ferry and train services.

In Cornwall gale force winds downed trees and some areas were submerged under 2 feet (60 cm) of water.

According to a weather report the storm is caused by a large  low-pressure system in the North Atlantic, extending from Newfoundland to western Europe.

IR image provided by geostationary EUMetSat. Copyright EUMETSAT/Met Office

Related  Links:

• FEWW FORECAST: 2009 Likely Wettest Year on Record
• Snowstorm Destroys Chinese Forests

• Met Office warns of catastrophic global warming in our lifetimes [UK Guardian]