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

[Gordon]

Here, here droughtbreaker. I'm lucky enough to never have had my actual home threatened by fire, despite living the greater part of my life in fire-prone bush. So I can only imagine how angry this comms failure makes the many who've been under direct threat in the past. We are ENTITLED to a decent warning system. As tax payers we have paid millions for it time and again and it has failed time and again. If the CFA operated in the private sector, they would be fined and sacked after yesterday. We only really need the system to work on bad fire risk, high demand days; so what is the point of having it at all if these are precisely the days it fails? I cannot understand why most people don't seem to be as furious as us about this? Do they not understand the maginitude of the situation? Or do they just feel helpless to do anything about it so just accept it: 'Well, the truck didn't actually hit us so I guess it's okay the traffic lights went green in both directions at once.'

It is a nonsense that all of rural Victoria are going to evacuate to regional cities on the night before extreme or catastrophic fire days - half the rural population would be vulnerable to incineration while stuck in traffic jams on country roads, and exactly where would this exodus sleep/eat/park etc once they got to Ballarat or Benalla or wherever?

So, realistically we need to be able to make informed decisions, and that means needing to know that, say, a small fire has broken out 10 km NW of me in a NW wind. That's what the website SHOULD reliably do, and can do when demand is not high. It's no bloody good telling me that a fire is iminent when it's a kilometre wide and the embers are about to hit.

[Petethemoskeet]

A very surprising but very welcome 9mm over the last hour.

[Gordon]

Great to hear those storms on the radar are actually dropping some useful rain!

Still trying to decipher the models/ forecasts for the next week for us down here - very mixed signals.

[Jake Smethurst]

Managed a very stinky 43 degrees yesterday before the change come through about 5.30pm. Only dropped the temperature by 5 degrees in the first hour but even that felt nice

The north continues to bake as other members mention. Fairly unbelievable stuff of how hot the upper airmass is! Models are starting to vary now from mid week with the possible introduction of a cyclone up north. It does appear northern regions of the state will continue to bake until at least Wednesday when finally a milder change brushes on through. One more blast for southern parts on Monday, but not as hot as Friday and coastal areas likely to escape. Otherwise really, southern Victoria seeing beautiful conditions.

[Rhino]

Getting cooler outside tonight, what a nice relief, and really next few days here are hot but normal summer conditions. Far nth and around Mildura will swelter and really feel for you guys up there, but hoping for some good rains around a fortnight.

Rhino.

[Geoff]

We went to an outdoor Shakespeare play in the gardens at work this evening and ended up putting jackets on to keep warm! The play was on last night too and the poor actors must've fried, being in full sun and in costumes!

[Pane]

G'day

Well we cracked just under 47 here in jerilderie today. We were also just to the west of the line of storms that got going the sarvo. I wasn't expecting any storms so a welcome site. Hopefully we get a bit tomora.

Cheers

[93ben]

Why don't you guys work for the BOM or CFA or both?! Stop complaining. Yeah the site was either running slow or not working at all. Look outside and observe for yourself. How many times do I have to say this? Plus you should have your emergency kits ready to leave your house. The government just won't do anything. Not worth it wasting your breath. All governments are like this. Look at America's they wouldn't really give a stuff too? No. I've never been able to vote for government before (only local recently) and there's really no one to pick they're all bad atm! I say bring back John Howard! Sorry this is my little rant, just sick of the complainers.

[Gordon]

Why don't you guys work for the BOM or CFA or both?! Stop complaining. Yeah the site was either running slow or not working at all. Look outside and observe for yourself. How many times do I have to say this? Plus you should have your emergency kits ready to leave your house. The government just won't do anything. Not worth it wasting your breath. All governments are like this. Look at America's they wouldn't really give a stuff too? No. I've never been able to vote for government before (only local recently) and there's really no one to pick they're all bad atm! I say bring back John Howard! Sorry this is my little rant, just sick of the complainers.

Ben, have a read of this: http://www.themonthly.com.au/victorian- ... manne-1780" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In the big picture, you can either choose to sit back and let government/ government agencies do whatever they want, or you can recognise that they work for you (not the other way around) and hold them accountable. This does not mean bagging them at every opportunity; nor does it mean instant satisfaction every time you aren't happy with them. But when they muck up big time, as on Friday, and fail to take real responsibility, then it's up to us to complain loudly about that.

It is a ludicrous proposition to suggest that if I''m not happy with the performance of certain agencies I should split myself like an amoeba and take control of them. The idea of 'well, you do better' is a nonsense. It's one thing to make a mistake, take the rap and make a huge effort to correct it. It's quite another to fail to take responsibility and throw the onus on to the public to deal with your appalling stuff up.

(Mods, sorry if I'm hijacking this thread; feel free to move to General Discussion or somewhere else.)

[Macedonian]

15C here , misty earlier, clear now, will be warming up fast now i imagine.

[Jake Smethurst]

It's fine here for now but just remember its breaking weather. You can both freely start a thread in general weather or social soapbox if you'd like to spark discussion.

Another beautiful day here finally some rain in the models, but a fairway out yet, complicated by a cyclone.

[adon]

Well the southerly breeze is stronger today so I reckon we will be a fair bit cooler than the last couple of days but not a cloud in the sky and still warm enough if in the sun. Good to see some storms in NSW firing up again so hopefully we can see some of that moisture move down once the breeze swings around. Reckon the breeze will be easterly by tonight.

[Gordon]

A significant drop in midweek temps in the latest BOM forecasts, max of just 20 C for Ballarat on Wednesday (which should be high teens for us) and min Wednesday night of just 6 C!

Pleasant top of 24 C today.

[b1schn1]

Well day 3 of over 40 is officially here, 45 yesterday and currently hovering just above 41, just glad i brought an air conditioner after the 2009 heatwave its earning its money today

[ManilaPlaya87]

Kinda figured that BOM would downgrade tomorrow and they have with the seabreeze keeping the extremely hot air at bay and a slightly easterly component in the wind. It was never going to be 38 with that kinda set up and now gfs has an established southerly airflow by tuesday

[Macedonian]

Great news. I hope the cooler weather extends to the hotter areas north of the bump. Looking forward to a cool wednesday here

[Rhino]

You know it's a decent downgrade in temp when even Ballarat is going to be warmer than melbourne, 36C forecast there. Still going for 40C here so hope the wind eases, had another fire to our NW today and really can't remember a time when we have had so many fires around the district in the space of 5 weeks, been unbelievable . Nice to see we might actually get some rainfall around the weekend, not alot but beggars can't be choosers

Rhino. .

[Geoff]

It was a glorious weekend here and no mistake.
Now I'm trying not to get tooo excited too soon, but the models are hinting at tropical moisture cradled by a high just to the south of us in a weeks time, which with all the heat just to our north, and a cooling of the uppers by the midweek southerly blast could prove rather productive...

[EMDG6B]

Extremely windy in Daylesford at the moment! Hope it dies down over night

[Jake Smethurst]

Welcome to the forum EMDG6B

Hopefully the wind has calmed since then. It was pretty windy here today as well but lovely sunny conditions. Going to be a warm one though today.