Advice and a mistake

[Zoe Brain]

Don't attempt to paint using artists acryllics or an airbrush when the temperature is 44° C.

I'm now trying to salvage some models by removing as much of the uneven covering as I can and awaiting more propitious conditions. Also the brushes, they are like sticks after 10 secs. I think the airbrush will be OK though, hot water from the cold tap seems to work well as a solvent for the gummed up innards.

Rolling blackouts may happen too, so an electric powered airbrush might have paint solidifying in it without notice.

The WSF models that have already been given some PVA undercoats are fine, but some of the others have cases of the droops, and will need straightening out with a hot water bath, then a cold one to set.

The temperature is forecast to rise a little more tomorrow, before a cool change on Monday.

Two days ago the heatwave was west of us, now it's reached us. Distinctly warm.

[gully_raker]

I know where you are coming from Zoe.
No outdoor work down here today & any models needing painting stored in the coolest room in the house.

[flash]

Holy wotsit, that's a bit on the toasty side chaps ! Keep well hydrated

[Carl_Brisgamer]

34 degrees here in south east QLD today, and an expected 39 degrees tomorrow.

[Nightbomber]

What a winter!

[OldGuy59]

Hey, can I share? Maybe we can work out a trade?

Yesterday, as the freezing rain started, and before the evening slush shower (two more inches of wet snow)

Note: I am 6' 4", and the snow bank on the left is almost eye level. The right side bank, with the garbage can, is over my height. We broke a record set in 1975 by almost double the amount of snow on the ground.

Normal appearance in winter:

[Stumptonian]

We broke a record set in 1975 by almost double the amount of snow on the ground.

Mike - what about December 1996?

My kids were spending Christmas with their mother at the Bamfield light station and couldn't get off the island until early January.

[zenlizard]

Fortyfour?

Why are you trying to do anything except lie in a pool of rapidly diminishing ice?

[OldGuy59]

Mike - what about December 1996?

My kids were spending Christmas with their mother at the Bamfield light station and couldn't get off the island until early January.

That's the year of discussion locally, but not the worst, according to Environment Canada. 1996 is a generation ago, with 1975 being two generations. So, not that well remembered?

[clipper1801]

Looking at 83 F today and tomorrow, have a few minis out on the patio "curing" - spray painted in the shop at 70 F and moved out into the heat to bake the finish . . . works great! Rock hard enamel in 10 minutes! Gotta love the "winter" here in the AZ

[Zoe Brain]

I remember the winter of 1963 in the UK. Cool at -2° average temp for January, -12° on the colder days. I was just turning 5.

I've experienced -22° in the Netherlands in 1986, and had to dig my way out of the snow covering my residence when I was in Montreal in the noughties.

46° outside today. Not good in a house with no air-conditioning. I slept in the house next door, which does, on the couch.

[Zoe Brain]

"The conditions for Sunday are the worst possible conditions, they are catastrophic — we haven't seen this in NSW to this extent ever," warned Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons of tomorrow's fire danger

Currently 1 lightning strike every 3 secs average, light sprinkling of rain and gusts from all directions. We're taking precautions at 2250 local.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-1...turday/8262500

"You will not outrun these fires", the NSW fire chief has warned, urging people to avoid or leave the bush before Sunday as the state gears up for catastrophic fire ratings tomorrow worse than the Black Saturday conditions in 2009.

Fingers crossed. Hoses and water containers prepared. Heavy woolen clothing. Evacuation routes planned. All debris cleared from garden. Keeping an eye on the horizon and sending out scouts. Those in rural hamlets had better get in their cars now and bug out.

[Zoe Brain]

We're in area 8. Not part of NSW, so rated as none. In fact, severe at the moment. We should be OK.

[Teaticket]

Ouch, thats beyond uncomfortable. Here in Maine we have a foot of snow on the ground and 5"-8" more incoming today. More expected Sunday and Monday too.


In the 90s I was on a research cruise out of Muscat Oman. Every afternoon (it was August) it would hit 50-51! If you touched the deck of the ship you would get burned. The government was very kind and would give everybody the day off paid when the temp hit 50...funny how the official temp announced never went above 49.

[zenlizard]

[IMG]

We're in area 8. Not part of NSW, so rated as none. In fact, severe at the moment. We should be OK.

Yeah, until all of New South Wales burns down around you. Not a lot of space to go, if that happens. Stay safe.

[Stumptonian]

Scary, indeed, Zoe.
I was looking at that fire risk map you posted from the other link you posted earlier.

My daughter was an exchange student in Canberra 14 years ago (14 years! I had to do the math)
I am certainly glad she is not there now.

Take care and stay safe.

[flash]

What extremes some of us live in - you all keep safe down there.

[Zoe Brain]

So far so good...

[gully_raker]

Fortunately a coolish change hit yesterday (Saturday) afternoon & dropped temp down to about 33 then last night we had a thunderstorm & rain about 9pm which really cooled things down. Only 20 here at the moment (nearly 11 am) & thunderstorms forecast for later. Nothing extreme forecast for the next 4 days.

Hope you got the relief too Zoe.

[csadn]

At that point, I say "[CENSORED] It, and start setting fires -- it's going to happen anyway".... (And this is coming from someone who spent the first 18 years of his life in a place with only two seasons: Wildfire, and Mudslide.)

[Zoe Brain]

We use controlled burnoffs all the time. No, the fires can't be prevented. They can be controlled though except in exceptional circumstances.

Right now, things are good here, cool change, sprinkling of rain. In north central NSW, pretty bad though.

Things you don't want to hear on the emergency broadcast system;

Current Situation

A bush fire is burning near White Cedars Rd, Kains Flat, north east of Mudgee. The fire is currently out of control and is moving quickly in an easterly direction.

The fire is burning in Catastrophic fire danger conditions. Under these conditions, fires are uncontrollable and move quickly.

There are properties under threat.

Telephone warnings are being sent to people in the area.

People in the area should seek shelter now. It is too late to leave.

Advice

Seek shelter now as the fire front arrives. It is too late to leave.

[redcoon2]

With relatives in a fire prone zone in the mid Pacific West Coast (Montana&Idaho) I know the anxiety and concern that are currently a larger part of your day than any of us would wish or care to cope with. Get rest when you can, stay alert and know that many of us are praying for your safety and relief for those of your family and friends.

[Zoe Brain]

NSW is a bit bigger than Texas. Call it twice the size of California.

So the Australian Capital Territory - ACT - gets lost in the shuffle, being about the size of Luxembourg. A little smaller than Rhode Island. 2280 sq km(ACT) vs 2707 sq km(RI)

[Zoe Brain]

I know the anxiety and concern that are currently a larger part of your day than any of us would wish or care to cope with.

Actually, we're rather more concerned about other issues. However, we don't talk politics here, so that subject is firmly closed.

[OldGuy59]

It is garbage day, again, in Comox. Today, there is a much greater chance (read: certainty) that it will actually be picked up, unlike last week.

What our street looks like this week, after two days of heavy rainfall (the normal precipitation for this time of year in Comox), and the temperature has been the usual +5 to +8 degrees:


Quite the contrast with last week:


Depending on where you lived in the Comox Valley, or on Vancouver Island, the snow fall broke records from 1996 back to the start of recordings, the 1830's (we ended up with 46 cms (18 inches) on the ground on the 9th of Feb)

[Teaticket]

On Feb. 12-13 we got 27". Another ~1' yesterday that I haven't seen yet as I'm away but go back tomorrow night. Oh boy! I hope my car can fit all the garbage I need to bring to the transfer station that I haven't been able to for 3 weeks.

[Canestri10]

But I thought everything was supposed to be getting warmer all over? Maybe the Russians hacked the weather... JK

[Zoe Brain]

An overall increase in global temperatures was predicted to lead to more extreme weather patterns. Hot areas getting extreme hot weather, overlaying a much smaller increase year-round, cold areas getting extreme cold snaps, again overlaying a much smaller increase in temperatures year round. And all areas getting more droughts as well as more floods.

One year's record rainfall, or record temperature, is just noise. When 4 of the last 5 years have set new records, that's of concern, but there are long term cycles that could account for it. When those people who have lived in the same area for 30 years can't help noticing that the distribution of fauna and flora has changed, and is now the same as areas 200 km closer to the equator 30 years previously, that's strong evidence. That's what we're seeing now.

[Canestri10]

Yes and just like the 10 strongest earthquakes in recorded history, 4 have occurred since the year 2004. There's no scientific pattern or explanation here but I have a different belief as to why all this is happening probably best not said here. Things are ramping up, that's undeniable. Stay cool, no major weather anomalies to report in NZ in years.

[Jager]

We've had a quite pleasant winter here in Ohio; almost all the named storms passed north of us (a few south), and very little snow accumulations. Lots of rain, though.
Right now, we're in our second bout of spring: high 50s to 60s all week, with a break Friday to the cooler 40s
Karl