Great to hear he's still OK!
Thanks for the update, Dave.
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Great to hear he's still OK!
Thanks for the update, Dave.
Reassuring to hear he is ok and doing well. Hoping his home survives. At least he has his Wings kit safe with him!:p
Am I right in assuming Barry was the only member in harms way?
I was just thinking that if there are members who have lost their WoG kit in the fires then I would be more than happy to contribute some of mine to help with the replacement.
The really dangerous weather has passed, no more forecast for the next 2 weeks.
Real time Hotspots satellite imaging showing active fires nearby after last night. Not great, but could have been a lot worse. Out of immediate danger anyway. Nothing still burning near Moruya (Bazza's bailiwick, south of Batemans Bay), very good news that.
Attachment 280284
Getting dangerously close to the P word here...
https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...rViePnVUpsnUyw
An alternate to thousand dollar air purifiers - much, much noisier but even more efficient - is a hundred dollar industrial vacuum cleaner with HEPA filter. No need to connect the hoses, just run it for 5 minutes to clear a room. I've let as many vulnerable people know as I can.
Anyway, that article is an accurate summary of what the last few weeks have been like here in Canberra. Also why I blew the equivalent of a year's budget for gaming on P2 smoke masks to give away to those who really needed them. I wasn't the only one who had that idea, by the way, turns out quite a few people, student unions etc were doing the same. Even, belatedly, the Government, with 100,000 masks distributed free to pregnant women, those with pulmonary conditions, and the elderly here in Canberra. 5 million distributed throughout the country.
Now the local weather has turned cool, 40% chance of significant rain later in the week, crisis over for now. AQI locally 289, still well over the 200 hazardous level, but nowhere near the immediately poisonous level of 5000 average spiking to 7700 we had on new year's day.
Glad to hear you have had a bit of respite Zoe. I hope it will last.
The last time I preyed for rain in Australia, we were on the wrong end of a drubbing in the Ashes Test. This time it is far more serious praying for no more ashes in Aus during our lifetimes.
Rob.
Even though the weather has taken a turn for the better There's still a heck of a lot of fire going on judging by that map. :(
Having just read through this thread there is nothing more to say ... Leaves me total and utterly speechless and without even the tiny'st bit of understanding how and why we humans have come to make things like this happen.
I'm afraid I was right when I used to say: "If there's a God and if he created this world ... then his worst mistake must have been creating the human race".
Sorry if I hurt anybodies feelings ...
To my fellow humans in Australia (and the world): best of luck and let's hope there is still some time left for us all to change the situation ...
All the best,
Guus :salute: with tears in my eyes...
I am glad to hear that there has been some improvement in the situation. May it long continue.
Hotspots as of Monday morning. At least some of the hotspots are due to frantic backburning, since it's now safe-ish to do it. Meanwhole the army engineers are doing a stirling job taking down Killer Trees - those which could come down at any moment. It's these that have roads closed, several fieries have been killed by them now. I had no idea that the Australian Army Reserve had so many professional arborists, who are doing the assessments. They're clearing 30km of highway (ie anything larger than a dirt road) per day in Victoria, re establishing contact with townships on the coast only accessible by sea at the moment.
Attachment 280438
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-...toria/11860638
Attachment 280439
We only got a few mm of rain here in Canberra. But nearby, where they needed it, they got a cm or more.
Now 1/2 an inch or an inch may not sound like much, but it's more than we've had for months. It was enough so that the fires nearby are under control.
Attachment 280950
Compare this infra red satellite picture of active fires now, compared with last week.It gives a more accurate picture than the Rural Fire Service incident map, where the icons make no distinction between a snarling dog of a fire, and a rampagingT Rex of one.
Attachment 280951
That's the good news. All immediate threats averted, air quality now close to normal levels.
Bad news...the worst of the bushfire season is in late February. While we may not have such extreme conditions again, odds are equally likely we'll have worse than anything so far. We're ramping up just in case, while hoping for the best.
Much more hopeful then Zoe.
I pray that the February threat may be averted as the professionals get a chance to preempt the next outbreak, and hopefully a bit more rain to dampen things down even more.
Rob.
That's great news, Zoe.
Hoping that February arrives and leaves with a whimper for you 'downunders'.
Thanks for the continued updates. Glad you got some relief.
You have to laugh Department.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-...ndows/11882472
Attachment 280970Quote:
Hail as big as golf balls and ferocious winds of up to 116 kilometres per hour have torn through Canberra in a storm that had residents running for cover.
The storm, which swept across the ACT and New South Wales — including the firegrounds — smashed windows, dented cars and tore branches off trees, causing localised flooding.
Not my car, fortunarely.
:D G'day All! The good news continues. We have had decent rain over the last few days: 14mm Wed, 4mm Thurs, 15mm Friday, 3 mm Sat & now Monday a storm came through this afternoon & is dropping some good rain. (Have not checked the gauge yet).
Interestingly my daughter just sent me a Facebook message with a link to an article from the Bega District News that relates the story of a huge fire that swept through the whole South Coast region in January 1884.
If you are interested check it out at <www.begsdistrictnews.com.au> It is headed History Repeats Itself.
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https...h_Z6JghdS83Okg
Just nothing is stable weather wise anymore. Sod's law at work again.
Glad to hear things are cooling down for the moment at any rate.
Just pray that it stays that way for you all.
Rob.
This is precisely why we Discordians pray very seldom, and even then, only very carefully. Eris is always listening.
Suburbs: Beard. Oaks Estate. West Queanbeyan.
Fire Warning Red. Fire Warning Red. Seek immediate shelter. It is too late to leave.
Temperature 34C. Wings 55kmh gusting to 100kmh.
Attachment 281055
The damage from yesterday's catastrophic hailstorm is still being repaired, power lines down, and the winds are worsening the damage.
I'm directly upwind and 15km away, but winds are chaotic.
Just heard a C130 water bomber has gone down near Canberra. 3 crew onboard not looking good for any survivors.
Attachment 281156
Can't see gully_raker making it to Canberra, the King's Hwy to the coast is closed again.
Temp 34C , winds 55kmh gusting to 95kmh. Emergency level out of control fire has closed Canberra airport to all but firefighting aircraft.
No good news about the Coulson C130, a fireball was observed on impact. All 3 crew were US residents.
Tough to hear of the C-130 crash.
RIP to those brave souls.
:salute:
Worrisome to see fires bothering Baz again as well.
:erk:
Sorry to hear about Kings Highway being closed again. Not good news for Cancon and those hoping to travel there. Not sure Windy and I will make it to Canberra for Cancon tomorrow either if the Airport is closed our flights will be cancelled.
Now this sucks. Gully_raker is in harm's way.
https://the-riotact.com/three-fires-...8JJut3JQWstjQE
Oh yes, posting via Andrew's mobile hotspot. The thunderstorm that came through 30 mins ago only left a few drops of rain,but hzd lots of dry lightning strikes. The very last one took out power in our suburb, As crews are all frantically fixing downed powerlines from yesterday's catastrophic hailstorm and gale force winds, we might not get it back anytime soon.Quote:
UPDATE 6.15pm, January 23. Fire is now directly impacting Moruya township after crossing the river at Yarragee. Streets west of the hospital are under direct attack from the Clyde River fire.
The fire is moving through the western edges of Moruya and flames are clearly visible from the Moruya Hospital and in the industrial area near the tip.
Some good news.
https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-...berra/11892476
Quote:
A fire burning in Canberra's south-east is at advice level after earlier forcing the cancellation of most incoming and outgoing flights at the nearby airport.
...
Due to the Beard fire the Canberra Airport was closed to arrivals and departures for much of the day, but services resumed for some Qantas flights in the late afternoon.
In a tweet, the airport said it had not been evacuated, but advised people to contact their airline for updated information.
By early evening, the advice from the ESA to people in Pialligo and at Brindabella Business Park, near the Canberra Airport, was that they were safe where they were, and should monitor changing conditions.
Crap. Hope he's OK.
hang in there people. Thinking of you all
Not good news at all.
Take care, Baz.
Oh my, this looks to be a worrisome summer. Hope this good news stays good.
Ug, again?
As Zoe predicted, it'll get worse again before it finally gets better :(
Hope Barry makes it through OK, and all the other residents and firefighters.
Just put my son Andrew on the plane from Auckland to Melbourne, hope he makes it all the way to cancon!
Good news - just phoned Gully_raker. He's fine.
Fire now closer, 3km away, but unlike Canberra they got some good rain last night, and the fire is under control.
Oddly enough, he was concerned about me, the gales, the destructive hail, the fire closing the airport... while I was really worried about him, they lost a few dwellings in Moruya.
But we're both safe, for now.
Great news!
Thanks for the update.
:thumbsup:
Thanks for the update!:thumbsup:
Really good to hear you are both ok.
Greatfull news! You are all very precious!
Great news Zoe. Thanks for the updates.
Wish you all of the best down there. :eek:
Extraordinary bullshxt with those bushfires... :hmm: