Fire
Susan in Melbourne wrote:
| b_twin_1 wrote on Sun, 08 February 2009 06:12 |
| Yes we are alright here atm. Smoke is as thick as fog. Sun is about to come up and I might be able to see better soon. There aren’t any fires very close here – thankfully. |
I’ve been thinking of you, too, b_twin_1. Hopefully, things will continue to be ok for you. We worried about our nephew all last night, but he and his property are fine – they just lost a fence and horses had some singed eyebrows.
For those in the northern hemisphere who may not have heard our news, Melbourne has had two major heatwave events over the last couple of weeks, but for people in the north of the state, it’s just been one long streak. Yesterday was Melbourne’s hottest day on record, 46.4C (115.5F) and coupled with gale-force northerly winds and tinder-dry countryside, there were hundreds of fires, many of which became major, and very close to the edges of the city. At least 25 people, probably about 40, have died, and hundreds of homes destroyed. The country town of Marysville has been completely wiped out. It is a very sad and worrying time for the state(as if imminent recession wasn’t bad enough), and they tell us, an indication of things to come. Meanwhile, in Queensland, the monsoon has brought devestating floods and mudslides. A bit of moderation all round would be good……
I wrote to b_twin_1 today (when she answered she reported the death toll at 108) that I thought I’d pass on the candle-lighting in this instance but maybe put out a nice bowl of water. And while I’m sure everyone who reads this blog for light relief is aware of what’s happening in Australia, I thought it was maybe worth making a kind of official bowl-of-water-setting out entry. Maybe cold snowy photos are a suitable gesture too?
Good luck to all of you in smoke-and-worry distance of Victoria. We’re thinking of you. Just the 115 degrees alone doesn’t bear thinking about. Good luck.
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