Scorched state awaits winds of change : Sydney airport 42.5 degrees

[Mid]

Scorched state awaits winds of change
Posted 1 hour 7 minutes ago
Updated 38 minutes ago


About 100 fires are burning in hot, windy conditions across NSW.
(ABC News)


More than 1,000 firefighters are on the job across the state.
(AAP: Dean Lewins)

Fire crews and residents across much of New South Wales are awaiting a change in wind direction, after a strenuous day of battling heat, low humidity and strong winds.

About 1,000 firefighters are on the ground as almost 100 blazes continue, the worst of them in the state's central west.

It has been a scorcher across much of the state today, with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees.

In Sydney the mercury climbed to 42.5 degrees at the airport, while at Walgett in the state's north-west it was 43 degrees.

The weather bureau's Chris Webb says two changes are expected to move through the state in the next 12 hours, eventually bringing showers and cooler temperatures.

A coastal southerly is due to push through early tomorrow morning, but in the meantime a south-westerly is moving across the state, bringing thunderstorms and lightning strikes.

The bureau's Michael Logan says a band of storms moved through the Cowra area this afternoon, travelling at 90 kilometres per hour. They brought lightning strikes but not much rain, increasing the chance of fires.

"Some tough conditions for the firies to get through tonight, with initially the hot conditions and then two wind changes, but some better firefighting conditions tomorrow," said Mr Webb.

There will be no total fire bans in place in New South Wales tomorrow.

Emergency warnings

Bushfire emergency warnings are in place for parts of the central west but warnings for the Laguna area in the Hunter region and the Glen Davis area have been downgraded.

The most concerning fire is in the Rylstone/Kandos area, where containment lines have been broken.

The blaze has burned out more than 1,200 hectares of bush and is heading towards Rylstone, Kandos and Clandulla; about 5pm AEDT it was just three kilometres to the west of Rylstone.

The blaze has scorched hundreds of hectares of tinder-dry bush and grass; it has also destroyed a building believed to be a small cottage. The Rylstone Hospital and a nearby retirement home, Ada Cottage, have been evacuated as a precaution. The Cudgegong road has been closed due to this fire.

But the Rural Fire Service says there has already been a slight change in weather conditions, causing a drop in temperatures and wind speed and a rise in humidity.

Firefighters hope that will give them a chance to carry out back-burning along Cudgegong Road.

They are also working to put in place a new containment line 1.5 kilometres to the west of Rylstone.

However, firefighters are bracing for the more volatile weather forecast for later tonight, which is expected to trigger lightning strikes.

Homes under threat

Some families have left their homes because of a big grassfire north of Orange in the New South Wales central west.

The ABC has spoken to one woman who took her children to safety in Orange while her husband stayed and saw the fire burn paddocks at their property in the Kangaroobie area.

The fire front is about five kilometres north of Orange and parallel to the Kangaroobie road.

ABC correspondent and Rural Fire Service volunteer Chris Googe says it is an area of small acreages and about 20 properties are under threat.

"Homes are under threat and they will be for a little bit of time yet until we can get a firm grasp on exactly where this fire's going and how fast it's travelling," he said.

"But we're doing our best to get around it at the moment."

Air crane on standby

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service has welcomed a giant waterbombing air crane to add to the resources of firefighters.

The air crane shipped to Australia from the United States arrived at Sydney's Bankstown Airport this afternoon, but it is unclear which fire it will be sent to first.

It is one of two air cranes to be based in New South Wales this bushfire season and adds to a fleet of another 100 planes for waterbombing, mapping, transport and fire detection.

Seventy of those aircraft are in use across the state today.

xxx.xxx.xx

[jandajoy]

It's bad all right. Winds set to ease a little apparently.

[Wayne Kerr]

Yep back home at the moment about 350km north of Sydney, next to the coast, managing to keep things around 35 degree C indoors, my weather guage reads 41 outside at 7pm. No sign of a sea breeze or southerly change, apparently hot winds off the desert hitting Sydney ... an f'n stinker cob.

Spent a few hours at the beach this morning before it got too hot, using ice cold beer at the moment to help. Biggest worry here is the thirsty roos coming in looking for water, bit aggressive they are in this heat.

[jandajoy]

Yup, those hot wind are coming from around here. Well, west of here. But, you might be pleased to the temp has dropped a lot since yesterday. We hit mid 40s Friday but today's down to mid 30s and the winds dropped a lot.

[Wayne Kerr]

Yeah Mrs. Kerr reckons she's never experienced this sort of heat in LOS

Assuming you're up NT way mate ... which brings me to the question "what is with the bloody darwin stubby?". I've got my stubbies in the freezer and have been through a few already, but flat out finishing them before they go warm. 2 litres in your neck of the woods must be hard going???

Oh yeah alot of alcohol induced shenannigans going on around here, most of the neighbours are pissed and should be a good night with the all stars cricket game tonight

[jandajoy]

Tourists mate. You'd need to drink 'em bloody quick before they evaporated.

I don't think I've even tried one.

[MeMock]

It has killed my farm in the last week this record heat wave.

Check out the pics over the last dozen or so posts on this thread.

https://teakdoor.com/farming-and-gard...-farmland.html (Buy farmland.)

[Loy Toy]

When it gets hot in Oz, particularly when the Westerly's are blowing off the desert the heat is unbearable.

The tar on the roads bubble, train tracks buckle and older people drop on the streets like flies.

My thoughts go out to those rural people who rely on their properties to survive and hope that those fires are kept under control.

[StrontiumDog]

Ridiculous heat and wild fires seem to be an annual event of late. Or is it that we hear about it more nowadays?

[MeMock]

Very unusual for November.

[Loy Toy]

We have always had extremely hot seasons in Oz but as the population has grown, with housing estates being built in high risk wooded areas death and human tradgedy has become more common.

Furthermore the environmentalists (Green Peace for example) have lobbied very successfuly against common sense and needed forest clearing which has made the situation far more dangerous.

[Wayne Kerr]

Sorry to hear about the effects on ya crops MeMock ...

The opening game of the cricket season is taking our minds off the heat Aussie all stars are sticking it to the Aussie 11 up in Briso

Apparently the north westerlies have blown out the southerly change we're hoping for so looks like much of the same to come

[jandajoy]

Don't get too pissed off WK but it's a beautiful evening in the Alice. Temp has dropped right down. A perfect 26/27 right now.

[Wayne Kerr]

Been a while since I've experienced the Aussie summer so making the most of it, off in a few days for 3 days abroad, so all beer and skittles at this stage ... loving it

[MeMock]

Is it cricket season already?

Who are touring this summer?

[Wayne Kerr]

Windies and pakies mate

[aging one]

and its cold here. Hold on you guys, it was a bad summer in California but we made it through as well. Seems very early for this kind of heat though.

[nedwalk]

a scorcher here too in SEQLD, i was down the bay [TIN CAN] a nice breeze but 1 of me market neighbours reported 38 on her thermometer..beaut weather though for an esky full of icey cold beer

[Mr R Sole]

Shit that's terrible to hear....42.5...nasty...gets like that in my Mrs's home town sometimes....too hot.

Sorry for the loss of your business...



HOT damn HOT, yesterday I saw a little man in orange robes burst into flames...(good morning vietnam)