Dear Han and All, We have had a little luck with the weather. Today and tomorrow it is forecast that temperatures will be in the low to mid twenties and winds will be from the south and relatively light.
This should give our fire fighters a chance to re-establish all of the control lines before another very hot, windy day on Wednesday. After Wednesday, there should then be another few cooler days. But the fires are still burning � the largest of them is burning with a front that is almost 600�kilometre long � but this is in an area that is largely unpopulated except by small farming and holiday towns and villages (several of these have had all vulnerable people evacuated to safer places). Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS Geelong, Australia on 2003-01-26 22.43, Han Maenen at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I wish you and all affected Australian people much strength in the coming > days. > > Han > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Pat Naughtin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, 2003-01-26 2:36 > Subject: [USMA:24628] Bushfires > > >> Dear John and All, >> >> It was hot here yesterday. The temperature rose to 44.1 �C and that is the >> hottest day we have had here since1939 January 13 when the temperature was >> recorded at 45.6 �C. >> >> I have nothing but respect for our volunteer firemen. On Thursday and > Friday >> the temperature was in the mid to high thirties with relative calm winds. >> The firemen took this opportunity to back burn control lines around the >> large bushfires � the burnt area is now reaching approximately 4000 square >> kilometres � and this has largely confined the fires away from residential >> areas. >> >> Yesterday's conditions were a nightmare but there were only three or four >> break-outs from the control areas and these were soon brought back in >> control. >> >> However it's still tense in the areas where the fires are still burning. > The >> country is dry after some five years of drought brought on by below > average >> rainfall. >> >> The next crisis will occur next Wednesday when the predictions are for a > hot >> (40 �C) day with strong winds. In these conditions an uncontrolled > bushfire >> can perpetuate itself with burning leaves and cinders that can start new >> fires at up to 10 kilometres ahead of the main fire front. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Pat Naughtin LCAMS >> Geelong, Australia >> >> > >
