Forecast dashes hopes for rain – RESURGENT DANGER: [1 Edition]
Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 02 Jan 2002: 2.
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Abstract
Hot, dry and windy conditions are forecast and there is no rain in sight at least until the weekend. Temperatures reached 37C in Sydney and 39C in the western suburbs yesterday, the hottest New Year’s Day for 24 years and the third hottest on record.
The low-pressure system across the Southern Ocean southwest of Tasmania that is causing the present pattern is a slow-moving one. Temperatures are forecast to gradually fall over the coming days, but eastern NSW will have at least one more day of very warm, windy weather with tops into the low 30s.
Temperatures are expected to drop late in the week as the winds move to the southwest, bringing cooler air. Humidity was almost as low yesterday as on Christmas Day, and the air is expected to remain dry throughout the week. Smoke from the NSW fires is already providing New Zealanders with spectacular sunsets.
Full Text
YESTERDAY was the day many weather forecasters and firefighters feared would be the worst in the NSW fight against bushfires, and today offers no reprieve.
Hot, dry and windy conditions are forecast and there is no rain in sight at least until the weekend. Temperatures reached 37C in Sydney and 39C in the western suburbs yesterday, the hottest New Year’s Day for 24 years and the third hottest on record.
Very high to extreme fire conditions are expected throughout the Sydney metropolitan area, the Illawarra, Mid-North Coast and Hunter Valley today.
Extreme fire warnings are also current for the Northern, Central and Southern tablelands, and the Northwest Slopes and Plains. There is a total fire ban throughout NSW.
Winds are expected to pick up throughout the day, with gusts of up to 60 km/h by early afternoon adding to the fire danger.
In Sydney, hot gusty westerlies scorched the suburbs and fanned bushfires.
“The conditions are the worst type of weather for bushfires,” Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Peter Dunda said. “The extreme fire danger will not let up throughout the day.”
Fire authorities are warning everyone living near bushland to be prepared, although residents are being urged to remain calm and not evacuate unless asked by police or emergency personnel.
Don White, of consultancy firm Weatherwatch, said: “Today is going to be the type of day which on its own would not be disastrous, but because there are so many fires burning, the conditions will only exacerbate the bushfires.
“Some of the fires are now so large they are setting up their own mini weather conditions.” This means erratic wind patterns and, therefore, unpredictable fire behaviour.
The low-pressure system across the Southern Ocean southwest of Tasmania that is causing the present pattern is a slow-moving one. Temperatures are forecast to gradually fall over the coming days, but eastern NSW will have at least one more day of very warm, windy weather with tops into the low 30s.
Temperatures are expected to drop late in the week as the winds move to the southwest, bringing cooler air. Humidity was almost as low yesterday as on Christmas Day, and the air is expected to remain dry throughout the week. Smoke from the NSW fires is already providing New Zealanders with spectacular sunsets.
There is some hope the weather patterns might change soon. A tropical cyclone developing in the Gulf of Carpentaria is an indication the weather might start reverting to more typical patterns for January. This could mean mean higher humidity, a greater chance of rain and an end to westerly winds.
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