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

[mick]

Change is at the sa/vic border.

Drive west if its too hot.

[Jake Smethurst]

Warrnambool now influenced by the wind change, which means it will probably be here at about 5pm! Cant wait

[stratospear]

Looks like a bushfire got very close to the AWS at Dunalley in Tasmania (it peaked at 59.9c):
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDT60801 ... 4951.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mick]

Great obs mate!

[BigBen]

Hottest temps so far:
South Australia - 47.7c at Wudinna (record is 48.0c).
Tasmania - 42.0c at Mueller Ridge near Lake Gordon (which is extraordinary given the altitude is 720m - so I suspect a dud reading).
Victoria - 43.8c at Dartmoor

Interestingly it's 45c just across the border at Keith.

48.2 now the top in SA as far as I can see @ Wudinna Airport, so that breaks that record!

[stevco123]

Lucky me, only got to 39.9 here so far. Same as Coldstream. Every other inland station in Melbourne cracked 40...so far. Lol

[mick]

Live images of bushfire smoke from tas, and its huge at

http://www.coastview.com.au/clifton_beach_webcam/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You might have to wait for the cam to pan.

[Rhino]

Got to around 40C today so hot but nothing of note for this time of the year. Can't wait for the change here, only going to be 35C tommorow........whoop de doo.

Rhino.

[mick]

Great but terrible image. I flew over tas a coupla months ago, theres not a lot of bush left around hobart. Where that fire is was very dry back then. It might burn to the sea.

http://www.fire.tas.gov.au/Show?pageId= ... tBushfires" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

its not looking good down there. For latest info go to http://www.abc.net.au/hobart/programs/hobart_drive/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and click listen live. Its all fires.

[Tassiedave]

Very hot down here in Tassie, fires extensive now, south of Bicheno, Lake Repulse, Dunalley (properties lost), Eaglehawk Neck, Tasman Peninsula. Very hot throughout the state, places on the North Coast like Devonport were only 23 degrees, benefitting from Bass Strait cooling. Still 38 in Hobart and 33 in Launceston. Interestingly even after the change Launceston is forecast 32 tomorrow.

[Dane]

Same here Stevco max to date 39.9c but its still 39.8c so could still crack 40

[ManilaPlaya87]

BOM now have caught on to the fact that we will be seeing a return of northerlies mid week with a spike in temperature as a result. Really 1939 like with this set up however just a tad cooler.

[mick]

A flotilla of small craft is evacuating holiday makers and locals, no one told them to, they worked it out in the Aussie way. Great people, I wish them luck tonight and in the coming days.

[Tassiedave]

Tassie ABC news reports 60 buildings damaged or destroyed in Dunalley in today's fire.

[Proteous]

110 Deg F here today or 43.3 C That's bloody hot for this area. I can't cope.

[mick]

If you cant cope, go to doctor get sleep tablet, wake up when its over, regards dr. mick.

Change seems to be at aireys, dropping 10-12 degrees as it goes along. Wont have much of an initial effect if you in the concrete jungle. It will drop and then climb and drop overnight.

[Geoff]

I reckon you lot could do worse than all move up here! Yes it was a hot summer's day - 36c max late afternoon - but apart from a few wind gusts this morning it was just a glorious summer day really. And that was it, much cooler tomorrow, and almost all the models I've looked at this evening have a cooler week with a chance of a few showers next week, I think the BOM may be doing a u-turn tomorrow. Sat pic shows masses of cloud flooding down through central Oz right now, that's got to be a good sign.
Edit; Doppler shows the wind change passing Geelong at 8.45pm, temp there down 8c in the past hour.

[Macedonian]

Thankfully lot cooler here than in melbourne , we had 33C this arvo and its down to 25C now. I hope the change comes inland this far.
this has been our hottest day for the summer so far. Hope it rains sometime soon.

It is days like this that make living up here through through the 6 month Winter worth it. It may be cold as up here for most of the year but i wouldnt be anywhere else!

[Rivergirl]

Latest from The Age

http://www.theage.com.au/environment/we ... 2c8j1.html

Really feel for the people of Dunnalley

Bushfires gut Tasmanian town

UPDATE

Emergency crews are checking the fire-devastated town of Dunalley, east of Hobart, after reports of loss of life.

Around 80 properties were lost in the fire between Dunalley and Boomer Bay, according to Tasmanian Police acting Commissioner Scott Tilyard.

Acting Commissioner Tilyard said crews were being flown into the town on Friday night to investigate unconfirmed reports of a fatality.

Advertisement

Bushfires earlier rained down on hamlets and beachside towns in southern Tasmania, burning homes and community property in extreme weather.

A police boat is being sent to rescue about 50 people taking refuge on the waterfront at the top of the Tasman Peninsula.

The worst fire came out of hills to the east of Hobart and, fanned by high winds and record temperatures, hit towns approaching the state's iconic Tasman Peninsula.

"You could see it jump the highway, blow up and move really quickly," said local MP Rebecca White.

"I've heard that quite a few homes have been lost, and the Dunalley school is gone. It's pretty horrific if that's the case."

The Tasmanian Fire Service confirmed structure losses around the towns of Copping and Dunalley, and said embers were falling further down the peninsula at holiday towns including Murdunna.

Twitter posts said some people were forced to shelter beneath the canal's bridge, take to the sea to evacuate by boat, and the local fish and chip had burned.

With the main highway cut, Ms White said some tourists who had been to the Port Arthur historic site had been ferried out, as the fire burned further south on the Tasman Peninsula.

The TFS was forced to split assets between this fire and another that ran through bush and small-holdings west of Hobart.

Police said it appeared that the Derwent Valley fire started on Thursday from a campfire that was not properly extinguished on Wednesday night, before a total fire ban was imposed.

This fire in the Derwent Valley cast a pall of smoke over the city, though the TFS said no property in or around the city was in danger from the fire.

Hobart recorded its highest ever temperature, 41.8 degrees at 4pm - one degree higher than the previous 1976 record.

Several hundred firefighters using 114 units were fighting a total of 19 active fires with an easing of conditions forecast overnight.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/we ... z2H0DdMjXJ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mick]

It makes me sick that 9 news didnt even mention tassie. It could get a lot worse down there before gets better. They just dont have the resources.

Cool change half way across the bay, should still knock 10 degrees off the temp.