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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Christopher Knaus

Australian weather: extreme heat sends bushfires raging across south-east – live

Children enjoy the Austinmere ocean baths as a heatwave sweeps across New South Wales.
Children enjoy the Austinmer ocean baths as a heatwave sweeps across New South Wales. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

That’s it from the blog today. The temperatures are starting to dip slightly across south-east Australia, thankfully, although Western Sydney and the Hunter Valley are still both enduring more than 40C at 5.30pm.

The soaring temperatures have broken records in NSW and the ACT. Firefighters continue to battle blazes across NSW, but the focus now turns to tomorrow. The rural fire service has issued dire warnings about the fire danger ratings on Sunday, and say the conditions will be worse than those experienced during the Black Saturday fires in 2009.

Catastrophic fire danger ratings have been issued for large stretches of NSW, including in the greater Hunter region.

Stay safe, and make sure you continue to monitor emergency services communications and the media for regular updates.

Sad news out of Queensland. A dog has died after being tied up with no access to shade or water in a Hervey Bay backyard. RSPCA has pleaded with pet owners to look after animals during the heatwave, which is mainly affecting the south of the state. A neighbour contacted the RSPCA after noticing the dog had died in the backyard at Urangan on Saturday morning while tethered on a rope.

Updated

Residents in the ACT are again being urged to reduce their electricity consumption between 4pm and 7pm, the peak times for usage.

Canberra has experienced some outages in Monash and Wanniassa, suburbs in the south of the city. An unknown number of homes lost power, according to ActewAGL, the ACT’s electricity supplier.

Updated

The fire burning at Leadville, to the east of Dubbo in NSW’s central west, is now threatening properties. The NSW rural fire service has raised its alert status for the fire to “watch and act”. That means firefighters believe there is a heightened level of threat, and that residents should start taking action to protect themselves. Firefighters are providing property protection to isolated rural properties in the area.

AGL will again curtail electricity use at the Tomago aluminium smelter

AGL energy is again preparing to shut down the Tomago aluminium smelter to ease the load on NSW’s electricity consumption and prevent blackouts.

It will be the second time in as many days that AGL has curtailed electricity use at the smelter. On Friday, it was forced to restrict the Tomago smelter’s electricity use for three hours and 20 minutes.

In a statement, AGL said it had given “significant notice to Tomago to allow them to make the necessary arrangements to safely manage their plant and people”.

“The commercial agreement has been in place with the smelter since 1991 and exists to give flexibility to AGL to manage its customer load during plant outages. In exchange for this flexibility, the smelter has gained commercial benefits under its supply contract,” the statement said.

“This type of arrangement is common with smelters in Australia.”

Image of the AGL head office in Sydney

Updated

Time for another weather wrap.

Western Sydney is reaching the peak of Saturday’s heatwave. The heat is most unbearable in Penrith, where it is now 46.6C, but Bankstown is 42.9C and Campbelltown is 43.5C. Inner Sydney is considerably cooler at about 33.9C.

Canberra has hit 40.1C, meaning the territory is sweltering through its second consecutive 40C day.

Areas around Brisbane have also reached the 40C mark, including Beaudesert, to the city’s south.

The northern areas of South Australia are pushing past 45C, including Roxby Downs, Tarcoola, Marree and Woomera. Adelaide is a relatively cool 31.9C.

Updated

Temperature records tumble as heatwave continues

The heatwave is already causing the records to tumble. Here are just a few:

  • Penrith has reached 46.9C, setting an all-time record. The previous hottest day was 46.5C in January, 2013.
  • On Observatory Hill, in Sydney, there has been a stretch of 10 days above 35C, breaking the previous record of nine.
  • Canberra has experienced two consecutive days above 40C, which has only happened twice before, in 1968 and 2009.
  • a small town broke NSW’s overnight minimum temperature record. Previously, it was 33.3C, set in 1915. On Friday night, the outback town of White Cliffs, in north-western NSW, had a minimum of 34.2C.

“Indeed it is an unusual set of circumstances, we are seeing very hot temperatures in the far west,” NSW bureau of meteorology acting regional director, Stephen Lellyett, said.

“I think we’ll see a number of records broken in the coming couple of days.”

Updated

Bureau of Meteorology acting NSW regional director, Stephen Lellyett, has just outlined the factors that have contributed to dangerous fire conditions across the state.

They are:

  • record rainfalls over NSW in winter, leading to high growth in fuel loads
  • dominance of high pressure over the continent in recent months, preventing cold fronts and rain-bearing systems from relieving dry parts of the state
  • a build-up of hot and dry air over the interior of the continent
  • a cold front is currently approaching from the south. As it approaches, it causes the acceleration of north-west to northerly winds, which in turn draw in the hot and dry air from the continent’s interior

Updated

Here’s a map of tomorrow’s fire conditions across NSW. Catastrophic areas include NSW’s north western region, the central ranges, and the greater hunter.

“It’s not another summer’s day, it’s not another bad fire weather day, this is as bad as it gets in these circumstances,” RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said.

“It is simply not a safe environment, which is why we’re making it clear to people the only safe place to be is not in at-risk areas, particularly in these extreme or catastrophic areas of NSW tomorrow.”

The latest statistics on fires in NSW:

  • 49 fires burning across the state, 17 of which are not contained.
  • The most notable fires are at Rankins Springs, north of Griffith, and the fire at Leadville, east of Dubbo.
  • 300 firefighters are actively engaged on fire grounds, while thousands more are on standby.
  • At the moment, NSW is mainly experiencing “severe” fire conditions, with some areas designated as “extreme”.

Updated

To give you an idea of just how dangerous tomorrow’s conditions are in NSW, here are some concerning facts:

  • The last time NSW experienced has a catastrophic fire danger rating was in 2013. That related to a tiny geographic area in the southern ranges and Illawarra/Shoalhaven. On Sunday, large swathes of the state will be rated catastrophic for three to six hours. The area that will be deemed catastrophic tomorrow is up to five times the size of that in 2013.
  • Up until recently, the fire danger rating was a scale between one and 100. Tomorrow, the fire danger rating will be upwards of 150 in some parts of the state.

“We haven’t seen this in NSW to this extent, ever,” the RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said.

“This is as bad as it gets, it is an awful prognosis heading into the weekend,” he said.

Updated

NSW RFS commissioner warns of "unprecedented" fire danger on Sunday

The NSW RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, has described tomorrow’s fire conditions as unprecedented, awful, and “as bad as it gets”. He has just held a press conference to urge residents to take care, seek shelter, and to avoid potentially dangerous areas.

Widespread areas of NSW will be deemed extreme or catastrophic, particularly around the central west and north of the state, to the Hunter, and down the coast to Port Stephens. Catastrophic fire danger ratings could last between three to six hours tomorrow.

“The conditions for Sunday are the worst possible conditions when it comes to fire danger ratings, they are catastrophic, they are labelled catastrophic for a reason,” he said.

“They are rare, they are infrequent, and to put it simply, they are off the old conventional scale.”

Updated

Firefighters respond to blaze in Leadville

The NSW rural fire service is responding to a fire in Leadville, to the east of Dubbo. Extra crews have been deployed in an attempt to contain the blaze. The fire is visible from the Golden Highway, which runs between the Hunter Valley and Dubbo. The RFS says no homes are under threat.

An air tanker has also been deployed to help fight the fire.

The RFS is expected to hold a media briefing at 2.30pm to provide updates on fires burning across the state. We’ll bring you details as they come to hand.

Updated

The weekend’s heatwave is centred around the Hunter Valley. Temperatures at Maitland airport have already reached 41.9C , Singleton has hit 46C, and it’s 37.8C at Lake Macquarie. The area has a catastrophic fire danger rating. The heat has been enough to drive some Hunter residents, including former NSW police detective Peter Fox, south to cooler climates.

Updated

The temperatures in Wollongong are forecast to hit 35C today, and the mercury is currently hovering around 27.9C. It’s far cooler on the coast than inland NSW, but the heat was enough to prompt these children to head down to the Austinmere Ocean baths to cool down this morning.

Photos of children at Austinmere Ocean baths.
Photos of children at Austinmere Ocean baths.

The NSW Rural Fire Service has stood up additional crews to deal with the catastrophic fire conditions across the state this weekend. The commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said firefighters were bracing for “some of the worst possible conditions across NSW this weekend”.

“Today we will see large areas dominated by severe fire danger ratings, that’s particularly from the central west areas of NSW, back in along the ranges, the southern ranges, the central ranges, and then right across out the greater Hunter region. That’s what we’ve got to get through today,” he said.

“But then, tomorrow, conditions are going to deteriorate further with widespread, extreme and catastrophic conditions being forecast, which will again extend right from parts of our central west back along the ranges, north along the ranges, right down through the Hunter region, right out on to the coast.

“In so many ways they’re unprecedented fire risk conditions.”

Updated

A-League calls off Newcastle game due to heat

The A-league clash between the Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory has been called off due to the heat. It was due to kick off at 5.35pm this evening in Newcastle. The match has been moved to Monday night.

A-League head, Greg O’Rourke, said the soaring temperatures across NSW left officials with no choice.

“Today’s forecast leaves no doubt that the conditions on Saturday in Newcastle will be significantly above the thresholds we have in place under the FFA Heat Policy so we have made the decision to move the Newcastle v Melbourne Victory match to Monday night,” O’Rourke said.

Updated

Birdsville, a small town in outback Queensland, has again sweltered through a 40C day. The mercury had already hit 42C by midday. Birdsville has seen temperatures above 40C every day this year bar five.

Ben Fullagar, manager of the historic Birdsville pub, told Guardian Australia this week that he’s become used to the heat in the past four years.

“The first summer is always the hardest … but you kind of do acclimatise. We’re very hot but low humidity, so it’s not a sweaty, unpleasant type of heat.”

Updated

The NSW rural fire service is warning that conditions will worsen on Sunday. High temperatures, strong winds and low humidity have combined to create severe fire danger in many areas across the state.

“On Sunday, the conditions will worsen. Large areas will experience severe and extreme fire danger,” the NSW RFS said in a statement.

“In addition, catastrophic conditions are expected in areas including the greater Hunter, upper central west plains, north western, central ranges and parts of the north coast.”

Fires that start in the current conditions could spread quickly and would be hard for firefighters to contain, the statement said.

Updated

Dangerous conditions have forced the closure of several beaches in southern Queensland, denying swimmers a respite from the heat.

Unstable conditions have forced the closure of Nobby, Pacific and Mermaid beaches on the Gold Coast as well as Maroochydore, Twin Waters and Wurtulla beaches on the Sunshine Coast.

“The decision to close a beach is one that’s made in the interests of public safety and, if that’s the case, it’s really important that everyone stays well clear of the water,” Surf Life Saving Queensland’s Grahame Long said.

Updated

Snow forecast for Tasmania

This just seems utterly implausible from where I’m sitting in Sydney right now. While the rest of the nation sweats through the weekend, Tasmania is expecting snow. Yes, snow. Surely they’re trolling us?

Updated

The rain in Western Australia has prompted flood warnings for parts of the state’s goldfields midlands. Towns in the Northam, Beverley, York and Toodyay districts are at risk of flooding over the coming days but Emergency WA says there is no immediate danger. Heavy rain was earlier forecast for parts of the Great Southern region, with an emergency warning issued for residents south of Hyden and Narrogin and down to the coast.

Time for a midday weather check around the country. Temperatures are ranging between 31C and 36C in various parts of Sydney. It’s 31.3C at the airport, 34.2C in Bankstown, and 35.7 in Richmond, in the far north-west of the city.

In NSW’s west, the temperatures are searing. Broken Hill has hit 42C, and West Wyalong is 44.1C.

In South Australia, Adelaide is 31C, while the state’s far north region has already seen 40C temperatures, including in Woomera, where the mercury has reached 40.8C.

The latest reading at Canberra Airport is 35.9C.

In Canberra, the mercury has already hit 34C. Firefighters were on hand to bring kids running in little athletics sweet relief this morning.

Meanwhile, the UK is bracing for weather of an entirely different nature, facing its coldest temperatures of the winter this weekend. Dumps of up to 10cm of snow are expected in some areas, and the mercury will hover just above freezing in much of the country.

With temperatures reaching 32C in Sydney by 11.30am, the UK’s weather is starting to look rather appealing. The grass is always greener, I suppose.

Australian Energy Market Operator warns individuals to be "mindful" of electricity use during heatwave

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) issued a statement late last night on the “tight supply conditions” in NSW and the ACT on Friday evening. It confirmed that residential load shedding was not required at any point in NSW.

AEMO said that was predominantly due to reduced electricity consumption across the state. It also thanked the aluminium smelter, Tomago, for shutting off its three potlines for a period late on Friday afternoon to reduce its electricity usage.

AEMO also warned Australians to be mindful of their electricity usage during the continuing heatwave.

“AEMO commends those who proactively reduced their consumption, from industrial customers, to residential consumers,” the statement read.

The reasons for power outages can be complex. Thankfully, my colleagues Michael Slezak and David Fanner put together a very helpful explainer on why Australian cities are put at risk of power outages. You can watch it here:

Why Australian cities are at risk of power outages

Updated

NSW Health has issued a warning about high pollution levels predicted for Sydney during the heatwave. People with asthma and other respiratory conditions have been urged to take caution and restrict outside activity. NSW Health’s environmental health branch director, Ben Scalley, said parents should limit outside play for children with asthma.

“Ozone levels reach their peak about 7 in the evening and tend to be lowest in the morning, so it’s best to plan outdoor play in the morning when the day is cooler,” Dr Scalley said.

The pollution caused by car exhaust and industrial fumes worsens during hot, still days.

NSW Health has also put together this helpful video on how to stay safe during the heat.

In 2013, the Bureau of Meteorology was forced to add two new colours, deep purple and pink, to the scale for its heat maps, which had previously been capped at 50C. As the United Nations’ climate change secretariat noted on Friday afternoon, the new colours are currently getting quite the workout.

The extreme heat can take a toll on Australia’s native fauna, as evidenced by this thirsty koala found by Alison McMeekin in Adelaide yesterday.

Wires, the animal welfare agency, has published tips on how you can help native wildlife. They’re also the people to contact if you come across an animal in distress.

Craig Burke of the Bureau of Meteorology has warned of “extreme heat” through Sydney’s western suburbs, where temperatures of 45C are expected. Further inland, temperatures will reach up to 47C. But he had some better news for South Australians.

“We’re still seeing a large part of the eastern half of Australia that’s going to be extremely hot, the good news is though, in South Australia we are seeing a bit of a change start to push through from the southern coast,” Burke told the ABC.

“Adelaide today will reach 34C, but we will see some cooler winds push through later today.”

Burke described the fire conditions as the most dangerous we’ve seen all summer. He said the heat will start to ease from tomorrow.

Updated

Meanwhile, in Western Australia’s south, heavy rain could damage homes and make travel in parts of the state’s great southern region dangerous. A severe weather warning has been issued for residents south of Hyden and Narrogin, and wild conditions expected down to the coast. The warning area includes residents in the Lake Grace, Lake King, Ravensthorpe and Jerramungup areas.

The mercury is already soaring in many major cities, and it’s not even 11am. Here’s a quick check of the temperatures across the country:

  • Sydney is currently 28.7C with a maximum of 39C
  • Canberra is currently 30.1C with a maximum of 41C
  • Adelaide is currently 26.9C with a maximum of 34C
  • Brisbane is currently 28.7C with a maximum of 36C

And in the much cooler parts of Australia:

  • Melbourne is currently 20.6C, with a maximum of 26C
  • Perth is currently 20.4C, with a maximum of 26C
  • Hobart is currently 17.5C, with a maximum of 21C
  • Darwin is currently 28.6C, with a maximum of 30C

Updated

Mercury set to soar past 40C in NSW, South Australia and the ACT

Good morning,

Welcome to the second day of Guardian Australia’s rolling coverage of the heatwave affecting much of the country’s south-east. Temperatures are set to reach above 40C across New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT. The prolonged heat is causing havoc across NSW, where firefighters are currently battling 45 separate fires. Junior sports have been called off, horse racing at Randwick delayed, and total fire bans issued.

Stay with me throughout the day for regular updates, and remember to stay cool, hydrated, and look after each other!

Updated

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