Australian pizza oven

[lynnb]

This is the forecast temperature map for tomorrow in the land of Oz - remind anyone of a pizza oven? See that Pilbara part of north western West Australia, where it's forecast 50+.

(Source: Bureau of Meteorology)
Yesterday Melbourne had temps of 43 deg. C - tomorrow it's Sydney's turn. (Thanks for sending it this way, Richard 🙂)
Perhaps the best camera bag is an insulated one, with ice bricks!
Meanwhile at my local shopping mall, the two remaining camera stores don't refrigerate their film - and the mall aircon is turned off at night. Nowadays if I have to buy film locally it's from the few remaining stores in the city that have refrigeration. AUD$13.56 for a roll of Neopan, anyone?
Temperatures inside cars left locked in the sun easily reach 50+C (122+F). No place to lock up a camera while you go for a swim.
Enjoy your beautiful winter snow, people.
Right now, I'd even swap places with Joe!

 

[back alley]

it snowed this morning...

 

[lynnb]

Go on, rub it in...

 

[randolph45]

That camera bag with ice will be full of beer

 

[ChrisN]

Stay safe people - keep a radio tuned to your local ABC station for emergency warnings.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Oooff.. 🙁

I'm glad we've got a rather mild winter here so far. It's been 8 to 10C throughoutthe week. They're predicting snow for next weekend though.

I hope it cools down soon for you antipodeans.

 

[slava]

:O we hardly get any days with +30 deg. C in Finland....

 

[DamenS]

Not only was it 43 degrees Celsius in Melbourne during the day (though it was actually on 4th Jan, not yesterday, yesterday was fine), I was up at 3.30am and it was STILL 33 degrees Celsius outside - no wonder it was impossible to sleep !!

 

[siracusa]

That is hot! Some time ago I was offered a job in Adelaide. City seemed v friendly but I didn't take it because the job wasn't right & the boss didn't seem very pleasant. Another reason was that I realised I would miss Europe too much, and for the first time ever I realised I would miss European autumns and winters. Now every time I complain about the rain my friends remind me of this. Stay as cool as you can, and stay safe out there in that beautiful land.

 

[Johnmcd]

Thanks for the reminder!

Tomorrow I lead a small strike team down to Nowra from Sydney composed of four pumpers. Manned by our fire training staff from our State training college. All hands on deck. The fire danger index is officially stated as 'catastrophic'. http://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=888

Expecting 43 degrees C.

Wish me luck.

Cheers - John

 

[astro8]

John, I thought of you when I read this thread.

Good luck and stay safe.

 

[lynnb]

Yes - all the best John - and to your team - take care, guys. Look out for each other.

 

[Johnmcd]

Thanks for the support. Hopefully it's hurry, hurry - wait. Done plenty of that in the last 25 years 🙂. Could prove interesting though. I'm lucky that my guys are all experienced and good operators. We'll look out for each other like we always do.

I'm taking my little Olympus Mju 1. If I'm bored maybe some happy snaps. If not who knows.

Cheers - John

 

[Richard G]

Sadly a teenage boy from Scotland, and a 31 year old German woman died in Australia this summer on standard walking tracks but in extreme heat. There are days here when indeed it is like having the oven open in your face. I quite like the dry heat, but I stand out in it briefly, marvelling that a human can breathe more than once in such hot air as we had a few days ago. Last Friday when it was just over 41 degrees C (106 degrees Farenheit) I walked 500m mostly in shade to lunch. I wore a hat and had a good swig of water both ends, coming and going. Death comes from thinking such days are routine here. They are not. You have to lie low.

And yes indeed, good luck John.

 

[truefriendship]

And to think summer is far from over. I'm still a noob to Oz climate, but I fear February the most.😱

~Rif

 

[yanchep_mike]

Looking at about 40 C tomorrow here in the West with a morning storm and maybe shower. Humidity will be about 90% or more and we all stay inside if possible. My daughter lives in the Pilbara she has a bad one tomorrow.
Anyhow good luck to all and stay cool, and John hope no Idiot is playing with Matches.

 

[ChrisN]

Take care out there John. Locally the authorities have closed the access tracks up into the mountains and the nearby national parks, most probably to keep any arsonists away. It's starting to feel like 2003 again.

This hot spell has me wilting. I'll have to get out early if I want to get a walk in. It just sucks the energy out of me. At least the humidity is pretty low (although that's bad for the fire danger).

 

[Roger Hicks]

Good luck, John. I sincerely hope you won't have to do anything -- but the very best of luck if you do.

Cheers,

R.

 

[mob81]

Good Luck John. It reaches 50C in Saudi from time to time (40+C) is the norm on the summer time (Now 20-30 C) and I can't ever get used to that heat 🙁

Wish all a good luck and safety

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Here in Tasmania a record was set Friday, 41.9C, hottest Hobart temp since records started. There are a lot of fires raging with thousands of people evacuated from the Tasman Peninsula by boat, others wading into the sea to avoid the flames. And dozens of homes or other buildings destroyed. We're OK at the moment, the closest fire is around forty kilometres away, but that could yet change. My friend's brother lost his house at Dunalley and also the bakery where he works, too, a double whammy.

A much nicer 25C forecast for tomorrow, then 16C Wednesday, with possible snowfalls on higher peaks. Only in Tasmania.
Cheers
Brett