Melbourne smothered in smoke as Australian bushfires burn despite cool change

By Kate Lamb

 

FILE PHOTO: A burning gum tree is felled to stop it from falling on a car in Corbago, as bushfires continue in New South Wales, Australia January 5, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy/File Photo

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's devastating bushfire season is far from over despite cooler weather this week, Victorian state officials warned on Tuesday as Melbourne was blanketed by hazardous smoke.

 

At least 180 fires continued to burn across Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) states although widespread rainfall is forecast for fire-hit areas on the east coast from Wednesday.

 

About 20 bushfires were yet to be contained in NSW, Australia's most populous state, while in Victoria five fires were at the 'Watch and Act' advice warning, one level below emergency status, authorities said.

 

"I wish I could say this was over, but we have a long way to go. We've got the smoke in our communities at the moment and it is at very poor or hazardous levels," Lisa Neville, Victoria’s emergency services and police minister told a media briefing.

 

Brett Sutton, the state's chief health officer, said he believed air quality in Melbourne, Australia's second-biggest city, had dropped to the "worst in the world" overnight as cooler temperatures brought particles in the air close to the ground.

 

Australia is experiencing one of most severe fire seasons on record, with bushfires that have been burning since September claiming the lives of 28 people and destroying more than 2,500 homes.

 

The political fallout from the unprecedented scale of the bushfires has pressured the conservative government to reconsider its policies on climate change.

 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has signaled the government may raise its targets for cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, and was open to the establishment of a powerful royal commission inquiry into the bushfires.

 

The federal government on Monday said A$50 million ($35 million) would be given to an emergency wildlife recovery programme, describing the bushfires as "an ecological disaster" that threatened several species including koalas and rock wallabies.

 

For a graphic on Sizing up Australia’s bushfires, click https://graphics.reuters.com/AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-SCALE/0100B4VK2PN/index.html 

 

(Reporting by Kate Lamb; Editing by Stephen Coates)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-14

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Oh, and I thought the burn rate was determined by global warming due to climate change. Been reading the Greta-News lately, this must be fake news.

Edited January 14, 20206 yr by DrTuner

2 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Oh, and I thought the burn rate was determined by global warming due to climate change. Been reading the Greta-News lately, this must be fake news.

Someone else who doesn't understand the difference between weather and climate.

20 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

3 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Oh, and I thought the burn rate was determined by global warming due to climate change. Been reading the Greta-News lately, this must be fake news.

Someone else who doesn't understand the difference between weather and climate.

Sarcasm, mate. Sarcasm.

21 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Someone else who doesn't understand the difference between weather and climate.

Oh I do. It's weather when it doesn't fit the climate change agenda, it's climate when it does.

It would be just like if we could stop earthquakes from happening. Seems fun for a while, then we are gonna have a huge earthquake because all the potential was built up and released in a single event. 

 

It is the same with fires. You simply can't let that buildup occur over decades. 

 

By no means am i saying the solution is easy, but you simply can't let the nature build its fuel decade after decade without thoughtful controlled and even natural burns that are somehow curtailed more. 

One of Greta's mates?

 

Teenage volunteer firefighter charged with arson alleged to have lit seven NSW bushfires

17 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Oh I do. It's weather when it doesn't fit the climate change agenda, it's climate when it does.

Bit like saying that when you are full, world hunger doesn’t exist. 

And despite this the qualifications for the Australian Open Tennis have started. People are advised to stay indoors and keep the windows shut, but playing tennis is apparently no problem.

 

 

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

And despite this the qualifications for the Australian Open Tennis have started. People are advised to stay indoors and keep the windows shut, but playing tennis is apparently no problem.

 

 

I think play was abondoned, not sure, but heard something or the Kooyong games were

 

6 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

I think play was abondoned, not sure, but heard something or the Kooyong games were

 

No, it wasn't abandoned.

5 minutes ago, stevenl said:

No, it wasn't abandoned.

Ok,this what I must heard in passing:

Slovenian tennis player Dalila Jakupovic abandoned her Australian Open qualifying match after suffering from a coughing fit in Melbourne, Australia due to smoke in the air.

 

WOnder how "dear" old Margret Court will cope if it doesnt clear 

Edited January 14, 20206 yr by RJRS1301

2 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Ok,this what I must heard in passing:

Slovenian tennis player Dalila Jakupovic abandoned her Australian Open qualifying match after suffering from a coughing fit in Melbourne, Australia due to smoke in the air.

 

WOnder how "dear" old Margret Court will cope if it doesnt clear 

In Kooyong the players cancelled when they had breathing difficulties, in Melbourne the horse races were cancelled. But in Melbourne tennis players were required to play.

1 minute ago, RJRS1301 said:

The subject was Melbourne, those pics say AUCKLAND which is in NZ,

I let myself get tangented by Post#4...  but,  

we are here in Melb, seeing the various skies around us, same skies, same smoke, ash effects and sky tinges to see outside for real...

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

A mate of mine is a pilot running supplies in and out of Mallacoota from Melbourne. 

 

He took some pictures today. You can see the fires burning across from the airport, and the smoke rising from the fires above the the clouds.

 

 

Edited January 14, 20206 yr by samran