Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Australia disasters continuing

More extreme weather down under.

Someone I know says that it is all just following the 30 year weather cycle.  I am don't doubt that there could be a thirty year weather cycle, just as in our extended economic malaise we still have a 4-1/2 year inventory cycle.  The question has to be where is the baseline?

Bushfires in Australia leave path of destruction
The Guardian, 6 January 2013 (hat tip: NC)
Australia is bracing for days of "catastrophic" fire and heatwave conditions, with fires burning in five states and a search continuing for people missing after devastating wildfires in the island state of Tasmania...
There are fires in five of Australia's six states, with 90 in the most populous state of New South Wales and in mountain forests around the national capital, Canberra.
Severe fire conditions were forecast for Tuesday, replicating those of 2009, when the Black Saturday wildfires in Victoria state killed 173 people and caused $4.4bn-worth(£2.7bn) of damage.
This is a continuation of previous bad weather

Fires Rage in Australia's Most Populous State
Enda Curren, Wall Street Journal, 8 January 2013
Australia has been hit by a spate of extreme weather in recent years. In 2009, 173 people were killed by wildfires that swept across Victoria state, while Queensland state was hit by flooding and cyclones in 2011. Last year, a decade-long drought that ravaged the country's farms was declared over after a consistent period of heavy rains.

And for a picture:

Temperatures off the charts as Australia turns deep purple
Peter Hannam, Sydney Morning Herald, 9 January 2013 (hat tip NC again)


Deep purple ... the Bureau of Meteorology's  interactive weather forecasting chart has added new colours.
Thumbnail Photo: Bureau of Meteorology  for an interactive map go here

 


2 comments:

JaneofVirginia said...

The people of Australia are in my prayers.

russell1200 said...

Jane- Yes, it looks very ugly.