Major Heatwave Enters 5th Day in Australia

Perth experiences earliest spell of five 35-degree-plus days in 71 years

A major  heatwave is shifting eastwards, pushing the mercury up to 40ºC in Adelaide by Thursday, and into the 30s for Sydney by Friday, local meteorologists forecast.

[Sydney’s average temperatures for December is 25.2ºC.]

Perth and surrounding areas were put on a severe fire danger alert Monday morning amid hot, dry and windy conditions, following a sweltering weekend, said a report.

The alert followed a large bush fire in the Shire of Toodyay, which needed more than 170 fire crews to control, as the blaze edged menacingly towards two housing estates. The fire had consumed more than 270 hectares, as of posting.

Rows of baled hay went up in flames most probably due to spontaneous combustion in Toodyay farmland on Sunday. Photo credit: Nine News Perth

Monday is the 5th day of a major heatwave which has pushed temperature highs above 40ºC.

On Saturday it reached 40.4ºC in Perth, and peaked at 37ºC Sunday. Parts of the eastern metropolitan Perth could see the temperature reaching 41ºC today.

In November, Perth recorded its hottest spring in 116 years, with overall average of 18.8ºC

Related Links

• BACK-TO-BACK Australian Disasters

Wildfires Destroy Oklahoma Town

Raging wildfires burning small Oklahoman towns

Extreme drought and 19 days of triple-digit temperatures have sparked at least 15 large wildfires throughout Oklahoma, devastating communities, destroying scores of homes, shutting down highways and forcing thousands to evacuate.

• Wildfires have left the small town of Luther (pop: ~ 600) smoldering.
• The blazes have destroyed at least 130 structures in Creek County, west of Tulsa.
• Authorities ordered evacuations in the towns of Mannford (pop: ~3,000) and Glencoe (pop: ~ 600).
• Thousands of others are voluntarily abandoning their homes in Creek County as out-of-control wildfires continue spreading.
• The temperature was expected to soar to 113 degrees (45°C), said the National Weather Service.
• Oklahoma City tied its all-time record temperature of 113 degrees set in 1936 on Friday.
• The worsening drought and soaring heat are responsible for numerous devastating wildfires  in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming and elsewhere in the past couple of months.

Oklahoma Drought Map, July 31, 2012. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

“Heartbreaking.”

Gov. Fallin, who toured the smoldering town of Luther on Saturday, called the devastation “heartbreaking.”

“A lot of people were at work and didn’t realize how quickly the fire was moving,” she told Reuters. “It’s emotional. For the children, it’s very emotional to lose their possessions.”

State of Emergency Declared

Gov. Fallin declared a state of emergency on Monday for all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties due to the threats caused by extreme heat and dry conditions that continue to affect the entire state.

Contiguous United States Precipitation- Week Ending August 3, 2012. Source: HPRCC

About 80 percent of Continental United States was Abnormally Dry or in Drought Condition (D0 – D4) during the week ending August 3, 2012.

Related Posts – Latest

• Extreme and Exceptional Drought Spread Across Midwest, South Posted August 2, 2012

• U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens Posted August 1, 2012
• Half U.S. Corn in Very Poor or Poor Condition Posted July 30, 2012
• Severe to Exceptional Drought Grows in U.S. Posted July 26, 2012
• U.S. Drought Continues to Spread, Intensify Posted July 19, 2012
• Another Heat Wave Grips America’s Heartland Posted July 18, 2012
• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S.  Posted July 17, 2012
• Drought and deluge 

Drought Disaster – Recent

• U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens  Posted August 1, 2012
• USDA Disaster List Grows to 1,369 Counties Across 31 States Posted  July 26, 2012
• Wildfires Consume 120,000 Acres in Nebraska Posted  July 25, 2012
• Deadly Drought Worsens Corn, Soybean, Pasture and Range Conditions Posted July 24, 2012
• Watching Events Unfold, Frame by Frame, Exactly as Forecast Posted July 20, 2012
• Deadly Heat Continues to Devour U.S. Crops Posted July 19, 2012

• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S. Posted July 17, 2012
• Largest Ever U.S. Disaster Continues Unfolding July 14, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012