Melbourne weather

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Just thought some of you may like to read this article about the weather over the next week. It states that "It is the worst heatwave most will have lived through,"

 

 

 

UPDATE 5:25pm: A TOTAL fire ban has been declared in most parts of Victoria for tomorrow with temperatures set to soar above 40C.

The ban takes affect from midnight tonight in the north western, north eastern, south western and central districts.

Fire crews across the state are on high alert with tinder dry conditions poised to create an inferno.

Department of Sustainability and Environment chief fire officer Ewan Waller said all of Victoria's forests were carrying high fuel loads as a result of 12 years of drought.

"Forest fuels are at extreme levels and are all available to burn and burn with extreme intensity and that is a real concern," he said.

Fire chiefs are concerned if fires break out that there will be no relief for firefighters during the night with tempertures tipped to hover in mid-20s for most evenings this week.

Temperatures are set to soar above 40C in the coming days with Victorians being urged to look after one another in the coming days as emergency services warned the state's heatwave could be fatal.

Premier John Brumby urged people to look out for one another in the extreme heat, particularly young children the frail, elderly and infirm.

"This week will be intense and sustained," he said.

"My message to Victorians would be to look out for one another, to look out for your neighbours, to take a real interest in your neighbours and your community. Particularly if you've got neighbours who are elderly, who are frail or who are infirm."

Power demands are also expected to surge as people turn on air-conditioners, but Mr Brumby said there were enough reserves to meet the increased demands.

"We have put in place energy strategies in Victoria over the last little while that ensure that we have adequate energy for the week ahead," he said.

Mr Brumby said there was 2500 megawatts of power in reserve for Victoria, but new demand records were expected to be broken later in the week.

Peak consumption reached about 10,000 megawatts in March last year.

Mr Brumby met the chief medical officer and fire, ambulance and power authorities today to discuss contingency plans to cope with the extreme heat.

 

He said consecutive days of 40C plus temperatures would put public transport, power supplies and health authorities to the test.

 

Temperatures have broken through 30C in Melbourne but the Mallee was the hottest area of the state. Mildura, Hopetoun Airport and Walpeup all recorded temperatures above 40C today.

 

Melbourne's temperature is expected to peak at 38C today.

As temperatures climbed this afternoon five Connex services were cancelled, while major delays are expected on the Werribee line because of a defective V/Line train at Newport.

 

"It is going to be a very challenging week for the state and I think it would be wrong to underestimate just the degree of challenge,'' Mr Brumby told reporters.

 

"We haven't seen conditions like this certainly for 100 years, possibly in our modern history since records began.

 

"It is going to be quite a challenge for the community, but I'm very confident we can get through that, but I think the more information we can put out there in the community the better.''

Mr Brumby said metropolitan rail operator Connex had put in a huge maintenance effort over the long weekend to try to prevent further heat-related cancellations.

 

The extreme heat starts today with a forecast top of 38C for Melbourne followed by four days of 40C-plus.

 

Weather bureau senior forecaster Terry Ryan said Melbourne had not endured four straight days over 40C since 1908.

"It is the worst heatwave most will have lived through," he said yesterday.

 

"Everyone needs to drink water, look after themselves and their animals."

 

The Country Fire Authority's 1200 brigades are on high alert.

"The conditions are right for a fairly major type fire event," CFA duty officer Gregg Paterson said.

 

"The state of the fuel across Victoria is very, very dry, so we're going to get fires occurring with this sort of heat."

Connex spokesman John Rees said extra buses and work crews were on standby around the network.

 

And as commuters brace for more train cancellations in the heat, it has been revealed by the Herald Sun that Premier John Brumby's office spent more than $108,000 on taxis in 12 months.

 

At Rod Laver Arena, organisers are scrambling to prepare for searing on-court temperatures which typically are up to 10C higher than outside.

Ice vests will be provided to all players when temperatures become extreme and 10-minute breaks will be offered to women and juniors between second and third sets.

Referees will suspend play if conditions reach extreme levels.

 

The scorching weather comes as the Federal Government warned the number of heat-related deaths in Australian cities is likely to double to 2300 by 2020.

 

The Government will announce a $10 million package for research into the health impacts of climate change. An expert report has recommended the research priorities be heat, extreme weather, health care and food safety.

 

Forecaster Terry Ryan said the heatwave could easily be one for the record books.

 

"We had three days in a row above 40 in 1959 in January," he said. "The next one was five days above 40 in 1908, so it would be the longest stretch of hot weather in January in 100 years.

"A lot of people think February is hotter but the biggest heatwaves are in January and over the 150-year record there's been twice as many 40s in January as there are in February."

 

Melbourne is on track for its second driest January after receiving just 0.8mm of rainfall. The lowest was 0.3mm in 1932.

[Guest Wallace]

I would love to sit in a bath full of ICE... haha