OT...The sudden temperature change....
Submitted: Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 07:45
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Willem
Two days ago it was 30 degrees at 6.30am when the dog and I go for a walk. This morning it was 9 degrees and I had to put on a jumper to keep warm!
Sunrise saw a big red ball hanging low in the sky filtering through the smoke haze from fires 150 kilometres away. It is incredible how smoke can drift even with a gentle breeze.
The weather man says that tomorrow the temp will climb back to 40-ish and then it will be time to hide in the house again.
Cheers
Reply By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 09:08
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 09:08
Stupid question this I know, but being from the middle of Australia (out skirts of
Brisbane), why does Victoria get so many bush fires in summer?
We don't get that many serious ones here, and we have been having low rainfall for 10 years.
Why do so many people loose property?
I have just been updating on the latest guides and regulations in regard to bush fire design, and it has got me wondering.
I am not trying to blame any one, or poke fun at any one.
Just genuine interest.
Why?
A reply from a local would be appreciated, rather than reading all the 'experts'.
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Follow Up By: slave - Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 09:15
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 09:15
A number (maybe all ?) of the ones in SW Victoria were started by lightening strikes.
Some areas have had water restrictions so guess lack of rain is a cotributing factor.
Arson is always another possibility.
Mrs Slave
a local
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Follow Up By: Utemad - Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 09:19
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 09:19
Well i am not a local but perhaps the difference is even though we get similar temps, we have a high humidity and they have low humidity. So we at least have moisture in the air. Plus Summer is our wet season but their dry season.
I was taught by the Forestry Dept that if you want to save your house in a bush fire. Make sure you don't have the bush on your doorstep for a start but stay at
home and put out spot fires and wet down your house. Most house fires during bush fires are apparently caused by spotting.
Problem is that I think Qld is the only State where the authorities can force you to evacuate during a bush fire.
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Follow Up By: Wombat - Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 09:47
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 09:47
I think you may find the difference between the intensity of our bushfires and those in your area Plodder is the amount of fuel available for the fire to devour. The areas where the more catastophic fires occur are normally dense bushland where the fire gets a chance to establish itself and build momentum prior to the first efforts at extinguishing it.
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 13:34
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 13:34
Lots of bush with plently of fuel and very dry this time of year add a hot day with very strong northerly winds and any fire moves like a freight train at full speed.
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 13:47
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006 at 13:47
Yes looking at the BOM chart it's very a different climate. Your rainfall is large compared with the southern states and most of that rain occurs during your hot months the opposite of down here.
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