I’m writing this entry earlier than normal today because I’ve planned to go see Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker with some friends tonight. I spent this morning rewatching both Episodes VII and VIII, so I’m all prepared.
This afternoon, however, I’ve been doing essentially nothing but monitoring the news for updates on the bushfire situation around Sydney. We’re in the second day of an Australia-wide heatwave, and although Sydney was spared yesterday since we’re on the east coast, the hot air has moved east and the full force of it hit today. We had temperatures of 39-42°C across the city, and higher in some inland areas not far west. There’s too much information, so I’m going to go to bullet points.
- Tuesday saw a new record average temperature across all weather stations in Australia, with 40.9°C, beating the previous record of 40.3°C.
- Wednesday’s average reading was 41.9°C, breaking Tuesday’s record by a full degree. Forecasters say there’s a strong possibility this record could be broken again today, and then again tomorrow.
- Today the maximum December temperature for any station in Australia was broken, with 49.6°C at Eucla, Western Australia.
- Fires are burning essentially all around Sydney. Not close to urbanised areas, yet, but with potential to move towards them in the coming days. There are several areas of high concern:
- Fire has reached the road next to Mount Piper Power Station, a major station supplying 10% of NSW’s electricity. It’s a coal-powered station, situated next to an open pit coal mine, and with large reserves of mined coal sitting in mounds on open ground. If falling embers ignite the coal, it’s feared it may burn for weeks or months, and take out the entire power station.
- Fire is burning south and downwards into the Grose Valley, which is immediately north of the main road west of Sydney through the Blue Mountains, with dozens of towns along it. If the fire reaches and jumps the river, it will likely race uphill to the towns. Residents there are preparing to evacuate.
- Fire has cut the main highway south of Sydney, and destroyed several homes and other structures today. This one is likely to spread towards more settlements, and there is another coal mine in the path.
- Another fire further south at Tianjara may enter an ex-army firing range, which still has unexploded 25-pound shells scattered around. Obviously this is too dangerous for fire crews to go near.
- Sydney has been covered in another pall of smoke today, with air pollution readings again at many times the hazardous level.
- Friday is forecast to be a bit cooler, giving some relief, but Saturday is forecast to be even hotter than today in the Sydney region. By then the fires will be close to several population centres, if they haven’t already reached them, and the weather that day is going to be horrendous for further spreading of the fires.
New content today:
I know you’re smarter than I am and have therefore already taken precautions, but: Be careful and safe, please.