Vic - Extended heat spell - 3rd Jan 2013 to 12th Jan 2013

[Geoff]

24.5c here at 8am and not very windy at all, which is surprising as we usually cop the winds first on a hot day up here. I've noticed that relative humidities are quite high right through the state, 30%-50% in the western half, and 40%-70% in the eastern half, so this hot airmass is not particularly dry after all, which will be a relief to the CFA as well as the rest of us.
Bird baths are topped up, garden is watered, guinea pigs are under the shade of the trees, we're ready.

[I_Love_Storms]

24.5c here at 8am and not very windy at all, which is surprising as we usually cop the winds first on a hot day up here. I've noticed that relative humidities are quite high right through the state, 30%-50% in the western half, and 40%-70% in the eastern half, so this hot airmass is not particularly dry after all, which will be a relief to the CFA as well as the rest of us.
Bird baths are topped up, garden is watered, guinea pigs are under the shade of the trees, we're ready.

I'm predicting that when it turns vigorous NW flow and the hot drier air mixes to the surface the relative humidity will plunge...often happens quickly without much notice on days like this.

[Australis(Shell3155)]

30.2 and climbing, that wind has picked up here.

edit.. WS little picture is showing RAIN. ?

[Andy]

Over 30 at home now. Avalon 32 already. Nothing to stop mid 40's today. No cloud and the wind will only strengthen.
Goodness me it feels hot already!

[Skywalker]

Doubt there will be any Code Red tomorrow but it may go close in some areas in West and North West. Central will not as it is still too green by all reports, Macedon may be a bigger concern and waiting for forecast to confirm.

Melbourne/Central areas are virtually split into different parts when it comes to conditions. The western areas, especially around here, are like a desert and very dry. Very different to conditions out east in the Dandenongs. Yes it's probably dry out there too, but no where near as dry as these parts. At least it is still green.
Just be careful not to generalize Melbourne/Central areas too much.

30 already and rising. I wonder what the chances are of the temperature going past the forecast 41.

[stratospear]

Wind is picking up here in Boronia. A lot of planets are aligning today - clear sunshine, the fact it is early January (not Feb), hot/dry land to our NW, strong winds, and a cold front still a long way away....

And yesterday also saw a train derailment near Croydon where heat was apparently a factor.

As for next week, latest GFS keeps the warm airmass locked in over Western Australia (850T~33 degC) with a rather cold burst from the SW crossing Vic/Tas on Wednesday (850T ~2degC Southern Vic).

[nafets]

33.8c here, wind is picking up. Just been looking at the origin of the surface winds and they're coming from our NNE in NSW, not the NW winds i was expecting on a 40c + day forecasted. Was this expected?

[Macedonian]

Quite calm here at the mo, it was breezier earlier. Very bright and sunny and a rather wrm night last night. I was able to try out the new summer doona.

just about to click over to 24C any second now.

[Skywalker]

Almost 35 here and it's not even 11am!

[93ben]

Sorry I wasn't clear...I was referring to the Dandenongs and forested areas in Central...I concur re your comment about grassland, this is a different story and dry in most areas I'm guessing. This is backed up by the GFDI map issued by BOM

I see, but still dried out bushland can cause a fire. It's not really a different story. The CFA/MFB probably use this information on how dry the land is to declare these total fire ban days.

[Australis(Shell3155)]

35.9 @ 10.59am Wind reaching 3 BFT all over the place..
36.1 @ 11.02am.

[93ben]

Yeah it went from...
34.6 degrees at 10:50am
35.5 degrees at 11:00am
35.1 degrees at 11:10am

[mick]

36 here, that means it will easily reach 50 under the laserlite on top of the concrete verandah. Backyard engineers, gotta love em. 43-44 for Avalon I reckon.

[ManilaPlaya87]

Adelaide Airport 2% humidity. Have we ever seen anything like it before? I imagine very few places have gotten lower throughout recorded history. Apparently Coober Pedy holds the record for the lowest recorded humidity ever in the world. Forgotten what it was.

[Australis(Shell3155)]

cant get onto the CFA website.. although I am watching through RSS feeds..

[93ben]

cant get onto the CFA website.. although I am watching through RSS feeds..

Yeah it's loading really slow atm. Managed to get through though and there's no fires around my area which is good. Here's the map: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/fire-and-othe ... nt-summary" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Dane]

36.1c here, wind from the North and gusting up to 23 knots (42kmh) on my weather station.
No rain here for 15 days straight now.
Saw some smoke to my north about 10am CFA website says it was from a small fire near Wellington Rd Lysterfield.
Should reach 40 easily here.

[stratospear]

Adelaide Airport 2% humidity. Have we ever seen anything like it before? I imagine very few places have gotten lower throughout recorded history. Apparently Coober Pedy holds the record for the lowest recorded humidity ever in the world. Forgotten what it was.

Some ridiculously low dew-point temps around SA atm - Nurioopta -46.9c, Ceduna -23.7c.

As for the CFA website troubles - what else can one expect in Victoria, the place where State Government I.T stuff-ups are guaranteed? (i.e. Myki, Education Ultranet etc)

[nafets]

Very hot now up 39.4c!!! The dew point isn't very low at 11c, humidity at 18% with a moderate northerly wind.

[stratospear]

Cool change just went through Ceduna dropping the temp 10c (after it hit 46c).

Drier air has now reached Mildura.