[Vision2020] Australia's Record Heat (115+ F.), Fires, Flooding

Ted Moffett starbliss at gmail.com
Sun Feb 8 15:03:16 PST 2009


*Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology*

*The exceptional January-February 2009 heatwave in south-eastern Australia:*

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs17.pdf

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jbqaLR_KBPvAjcFZsB9qpjDoxmjA

KINGLAKE, Australia (AFP) — The death toll from the worst wildfires in
Australia's history -- described by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as "hell in
all its fury" -- has risen to 108, authorities said Monday.

Firefighters in the southeast of the country were battling dozens of blazes
amid fears the death toll could rise still further, as emergency crews
sifted through the charred remains of entire towns razed in the inferno.

People died in their cars as they attempted to escape the fast-advancing
flames -- smouldering wrecks on roads outside this town told of failed
attempts to flee -- while others were burnt to death in their homes.
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http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iWZq5K42KX2ZF6kWCJx_6m03p9PA

SYDNEY (AFP) — Intense wildfires raged out of control on Saturday as
southeastern Australia sweltered through a record heatwave, while
floodwaters in the country's sodden north continued to rise.

High winds fanned more than 50 fires across three states in tinderbox
conditions as the once-in-a-century heatwave topped 46 degrees Celsius (115
Fahrenheit).
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Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, recorded its hottest-ever
February day, peaking at 46.4 degrees by mid-afternoon, with temperatures
soaring above 47 degrees further inland.

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Much of Queensland state has been declared a disaster zone, with an area of
more than one million square kilometres (386,100 square miles) and 3,000
homes affected by floods due to torrential rains.

Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate, or have been stranded in their
homes for up to six days.

The sugar cane and cattle industries have been devastated by the floods,
with tens of thousands of stranded cows starving to death.

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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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