Australia bushfires: Catastrophic danger continues from South Australia to Victoria
By
Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 18, 2019 5:19 PM EDT
Sydney, Australia, has become unrecognizable as toxic smoke from wildfires continues to filter into the city. Over the last few months, wildfires have wreaked havoc in both Queensland and New South Wales, with millions of acres being scorched.
Total fire bans have been issued as the highest level of fire warnings is in effect for multiple states in Australia this week.
Intense heat and strong winds will build ahead of a frontal boundary that is set to push eastward across the country into this weekend.
After record-setting heat and fires affected parts of Western Australia earlier this week, South Australia was ground zero for the most extreme conditions on Wednesday as temperatures soared to record levels and dozens of fires broke out across the state.
In this November 2018 photo released on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018, by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service, a firefighter works on a fire ground at Deepwater, near Bundaberg, Australia. (QLD Fire and Emergency via AP)
Parts of Adelaide had temperatures soar to 42 C (107-108 F) on Wednesday, approaching the all-time November high temperature of 42.7 C (108.9 F) which was set in 1962, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
More than a dozen temperature records were shattered on Wednesday in South Australia according to the Australia Bureau of Meteorology. This includes a scorching 46.6 C (115.9 F) peak temperature in Nullarbor.
At the same time, a catastrophic fire danger, the highest on Australia's six-level warning tier, is in place for parts of the state. A catastrophic fire danger had been issued for parts of New South Wales and Western Australia within the last week.
Nearly 50 fires were still active Wednesday night, even as cooler air began to push across the state.
This Nov. 8, 2019, satellite photo taken by NASA shows hot, dry and windy weather conditions as bushfires burn in the eastern part of News South Wales state. (NASA via AP)
In another attempt to prevent bushfires from igniting, the Country Fire Service declared a fire ban for Tuesday, 24 hours before the most dangerous fire conditions are expected to arrive. This fire ban remains in effect for Adelaide and surrounding areas on Thursday.
More than 100 schools were closed in South Australia on Wednesday due to the catastrophic fire conditions, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The heat will be slashed significantly on Thursday with a high temperature near 22 C (71 F) forecast for Adelaide. However, strong winds will continue the risk for bushfires and also create dangerous conditions for ongoing firefighting operations.
Strong winds of (20-30 mph) with frequent gusts of (40-50 mph) are in the forecast for Thursday.
Winds will diminish slightly from Friday into the weekend; however, locally gusty winds will continue each day.
Victoria and New South Wales will also endure a bout of heat and high fire danger in the coming days.
In response to the extreme weather conditions, a Code Red fire warning has been issued for Victoria on Thursday. A total fire ban is also in place across the state on Thursday.
A Code Red fire warning is the highest on the state's fire danger scale and is equal to a catastrophic fire rating in other states. The last Code Red warning was issued in 2010.
Temperatures may briefly climb above 38 C (100 F) on Thursday before winds shift onshore and temperatures tumble to near 16 C (61 F) by the early evening.
Strong winds which developed Wednesday afternoon across much of Victoria will continue on Thursday, further enhancing the risk for bushfires across the state.
Locations from Canberra to Sydney and the interior of New South Wales will endure similar heat and a high fire risk from into this weekend.
Smoke haze covers Sydney, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, as wildfires burn near the city. The annual Australian fire season, which peaks during the Southern Hemisphere summer, has started early after an unusually warm and dry winter. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Temperatures will peak on Thursday in Canberra with a high near 38 C (100 F).
The worst of the heat will be felt across the interior of New South Wales this week; however, temperatures climbed to near 33 C ( 91 F) in downtown Sydney on Tuesday, with the hottest suburbs peaking near 40 C (104 F).
Thick smoke from nearby wildfires blanketed the Sydney area on Tuesday creating poor visibility and resulting in dangerously poor air quality. Air quality improved on Wednesday as a wind shift brought fresh air into the area.
Gusty winds combined with the above-normal heat will lead to an elevated risk for wildfires each day.
At least six people have died in bushfires across New South Wales since the start of October, according to BBC News.
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News / Severe Weather
Australia bushfires: Catastrophic danger continues from South Australia to Victoria
By Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 18, 2019 5:19 PM EDT
Sydney, Australia, has become unrecognizable as toxic smoke from wildfires continues to filter into the city. Over the last few months, wildfires have wreaked havoc in both Queensland and New South Wales, with millions of acres being scorched.
Total fire bans have been issued as the highest level of fire warnings is in effect for multiple states in Australia this week.
Intense heat and strong winds will build ahead of a frontal boundary that is set to push eastward across the country into this weekend.
After record-setting heat and fires affected parts of Western Australia earlier this week, South Australia was ground zero for the most extreme conditions on Wednesday as temperatures soared to record levels and dozens of fires broke out across the state.
In this November 2018 photo released on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018, by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service, a firefighter works on a fire ground at Deepwater, near Bundaberg, Australia. (QLD Fire and Emergency via AP)
Parts of Adelaide had temperatures soar to 42 C (107-108 F) on Wednesday, approaching the all-time November high temperature of 42.7 C (108.9 F) which was set in 1962, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
More than a dozen temperature records were shattered on Wednesday in South Australia according to the Australia Bureau of Meteorology. This includes a scorching 46.6 C (115.9 F) peak temperature in Nullarbor.
At the same time, a catastrophic fire danger, the highest on Australia's six-level warning tier, is in place for parts of the state. A catastrophic fire danger had been issued for parts of New South Wales and Western Australia within the last week.
Nearly 50 fires were still active Wednesday night, even as cooler air began to push across the state.
This Nov. 8, 2019, satellite photo taken by NASA shows hot, dry and windy weather conditions as bushfires burn in the eastern part of News South Wales state. (NASA via AP)
In another attempt to prevent bushfires from igniting, the Country Fire Service declared a fire ban for Tuesday, 24 hours before the most dangerous fire conditions are expected to arrive. This fire ban remains in effect for Adelaide and surrounding areas on Thursday.
More than 100 schools were closed in South Australia on Wednesday due to the catastrophic fire conditions, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The heat will be slashed significantly on Thursday with a high temperature near 22 C (71 F) forecast for Adelaide. However, strong winds will continue the risk for bushfires and also create dangerous conditions for ongoing firefighting operations.
Strong winds of (20-30 mph) with frequent gusts of (40-50 mph) are in the forecast for Thursday.
Winds will diminish slightly from Friday into the weekend; however, locally gusty winds will continue each day.
Related:
Victoria and New South Wales will also endure a bout of heat and high fire danger in the coming days.
In response to the extreme weather conditions, a Code Red fire warning has been issued for Victoria on Thursday. A total fire ban is also in place across the state on Thursday.
A Code Red fire warning is the highest on the state's fire danger scale and is equal to a catastrophic fire rating in other states. The last Code Red warning was issued in 2010.
Temperatures may briefly climb above 38 C (100 F) on Thursday before winds shift onshore and temperatures tumble to near 16 C (61 F) by the early evening.
Strong winds which developed Wednesday afternoon across much of Victoria will continue on Thursday, further enhancing the risk for bushfires across the state.
Locations from Canberra to Sydney and the interior of New South Wales will endure similar heat and a high fire risk from into this weekend.
Smoke haze covers Sydney, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, as wildfires burn near the city. The annual Australian fire season, which peaks during the Southern Hemisphere summer, has started early after an unusually warm and dry winter. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Temperatures will peak on Thursday in Canberra with a high near 38 C (100 F).
The worst of the heat will be felt across the interior of New South Wales this week; however, temperatures climbed to near 33 C ( 91 F) in downtown Sydney on Tuesday, with the hottest suburbs peaking near 40 C (104 F).
Thick smoke from nearby wildfires blanketed the Sydney area on Tuesday creating poor visibility and resulting in dangerously poor air quality. Air quality improved on Wednesday as a wind shift brought fresh air into the area.
Gusty winds combined with the above-normal heat will lead to an elevated risk for wildfires each day.
At least six people have died in bushfires across New South Wales since the start of October, according to BBC News.
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