Uncontrolled Bushfires Rage in Victoria and South Australia

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
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Hundreds of wildfires plague Victoria and South Australia, as thunderstorms threaten to spark more blazes

Lightning-sparked bushfires are burning out of control in the state of Victoria and South Australia amid soaring temperatures caused by a persistent heatwave, as thunderstorms threaten to spark more fires.

Residents of south-east Australia are again sweltering today, after the mercury in Melbourne rose to about 43ºC (109 degrees) on Tuesday. In Adelaide a high of 45.1ºC (113 degrees) was recorded yesterday, said a report.

“The Country Fire Authority (CFA) say more than 250 fires were started by lightening strikes overnight, and 29 were yet to be brought under control.”

• Several temperature records were shattered in South Australia as electricity generators struggled to cope with the demand.
• Records were also broken across Tasmania.
• Adelaide could break the previous record of 46.1ºC  (115 degrees) set in January 1939.

Authorities have issued severe fire danger ratings across the region.

Weekly max. temperature map for Australia valid for the week ending Tuesday, January 14, 2014. Source: BOM

Hottest Year Since Records Began in 1910

Australia experienced its hottest year in 2013  since records began more than a 100 years ago, said BOM earlier this month. The continent recorded average temperatures of 1.2ºC above the long-term average of 21.8 degree Celsius, shattering the previous record set in 2005.

Related Links

• Extreme Heat Wave Setting Australia on Fire January 13, 2014
• Australia: Temperatures Continue to Soar January 14, 2014

Australia: Temperatures Continue to Soar

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
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Heatwave plaguing third of the continent

Widespread heatwave is predicted to extend from parts of Western Australia across the southern interior and on to  southeastern Australia. Severe heat is currently affecting parts of Western Australia, southern areas of South Australia and all of the southeast of Australia with extreme heatwave forecast for most of the state of Victoria, far southeast NSW and Tasmania, according to the Australiana Bureau of Meteorology  (BOM).

Pilot Heatwave Forecast is a Bureau of Meteorology product that shows the location of heatwaves, severe heatwaves and extreme heatwaves for today [January 14, 2014]. It uses Numerical Weather Prediction model data, not the Official Forecast data. Source: BOM

Weekly temperature map valid for the week ending Tuesday, January 7, 2014. Source: BOM

Hottest Year Since Records Began in 1910

Australia experienced its hottest year in 2013  since records began more than a 100 years ago, said BOM earlier this month. The continent recorded average temperatures of 1.2ºC above the long-term average of 21.8 degree Celsius, shattering the previous record set in 2005.

Related Links

• 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]