A severe heatwave warning has been issued by the meteorological bureau for the south coast of the state, and high fire conditions are anticipated for the south coast on Tuesday, as well as for Sydney and the Hunter Valley on Wednesday.
On Monday, a significant portion of Australia began its fourth day in a row of experiencing temperatures that were far above average. This has resulted in heightened fire hazards and an early start to an extremely hot and dry warm season.
On Monday, it was anticipated that Northern Victoria, northern New South Wales, and inland South Australia will all experience temperatures that were 10 to 16 degrees Celsius higher than typical. It was anticipated that Port Augusta, in South Australia, would reach 39 degrees Celsius, Penrith, in New South Wales, would reach 37 degrees Celsius, and Sydney would reach 31 degrees Celsius.
The persistent period of high temperature across several parts of Australia was described as “very unusual” by Dean Narramore, a meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology. This was particularly true when considering the time of the year.
The big, slow-moving high pressure system that is responsible for the deep ring of heat is responsible for drawing warmth from central and northern Australia into the south-eastern part of the continent. On Sunday, the temperature in Ceduna, which is located in South Australia, reached a record-breaking 39.8 degrees Celsius.
As the heat moved eastwards, forecasters anticipated an even greater increase in temperature for New South Wales on Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to Narramore, the warmth is expected to end on Wednesday. On that day, a cold front will move across the entire southeast, bringing with it blustery winds, showers, and possibly even snow to the alpine regions of Victoria and Tasmania.
The chilly shift that will arrive that evening is expected to bring gusty winds and occasional showers to Sydney, along with a dip in temperature from 34 degrees to 21 degrees.
“It’ll be back to average temperatures, but after a hot week, that’s going to feel like a shock,” Narramore said. “It’s going to feel like a cold front is coming through.”
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service reacted to grass fires in Riverwood, which is located in south-west Sydney, and Kangy Angy, which is located north of Gosford, on Monday morning. The Razorback fire, which was located to the north of Picton, was also brought under control.
On Sunday, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services issued evacuation orders for the people of the small town of Emerald and the nearby town of Beerwah, both of which are located on the Sunshine Coast. By Monday, residents in the impacted areas were being advised to avoid smoke and to continue to monitor the situation for updates.
After a head start, the bushfire season has begun, and the executive manager for bushfire mitigation at the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, James Haig, has emphasized the need of being prepared for bushfires.
According to him, he gave an interview to ABC News in which he said, “You can see from the recent fires in Queensland that the bushfire season is well and truly on us so, please, make sure you’ve got a bushfire survival plan.”
“We want people to understand what they’re going to do and be able to implement a plan that’s been made in advance.”
The Australian Red Cross reiterated the appeal, with new data revealing that just 10% of individuals are making efforts to actively prepare themselves for emergencies. This is despite the fact that 58% of Australians are projected to be affected by heatwaves during the next 12 months, which is more than double the figure from five years ago.
Penny Harrison, who works for the Red Cross, said that people’s fear about potential disasters did not translate into active planning.
“We are aware that the more your level of preparedness, the greater your potential to respond to any event and recover from it. “All you have to do is think about it, and that’s not enough,” she remarked.
Residents of Sydney have been warned to brace themselves for a summer season with a high danger of bushfires, while prodigious vegetation growth has contributed to fuel loads as the blaze season approaches.
The Bureau of Meteorology has not yet announced that an El Nio will occur during the upcoming summer, but meteorologist Dylan Bird stated last week that the agency was closely monitoring climate parameters and that the occurrence of the phenomena, which now has a probability of 70%, was “very likely.”
Following the warmest winter on record, the Bureau of Meteorology projects that much of Australia will have a warmer and drier summer as a result of the expected development of El Nio and the Indian Ocean dipole.
