|
 Though
temperatures have moderated somewhat, bushfires continue
to be widespread in eastern NSW and VIC and SE QLD.
In NSW, 67 fires continue to burn along the coast and tablelands. Of 31 fires
in the Northern Tablelands that have broken out in the past two
weeks,
16 are
still going.
The largest
are at Sandy
Flat,
SE of
Tenterfield
(5978ha), Henry River, ESE of Glen Innes (6875ha), and Capoompeta south
of Tenterfield (5696ha). Other fires in the state's northeast are near
Inverell (1), Kyogle (4), Copmanhurst (2), Nambucca (1), Hastings Valley
(8), Great Lakes (4) and Dungog (1).
In the southern Hunter Valley, over
100
firefighters
are
working
on a major blaze near Laguna, 25km SW of Cessnock, where three fires have
joined into one firefront. Another 6 fires are burning in the area. 70
firefighters and 6 helicopters are waterbombing a large fire between Central
Mangrove and the Jillaby Nature Reserve west of Gosford, and fires are
also burning at Somersby, Lake Macquarie and Colo. In the Blue Mountains,
a fire broke out about 4pm a few hundred meters from the major Scenicworld
attraction causing both it and bushwalkers in nearby Jamieson Valley to
be evacuated. Fires continue on the South Coast but are contained. Almost
all of the fires are burning in bushland remote from property and in some
cases inaccessible.
In VIC, 27 fires are burning of which the most threatening are 5 between
Orbost and Cann River in East Gippsland. The Princes Highway remains closed,
and Club Terrace had a close escape after wind-driven
flames skirted the small settlement overnight. The main fire has consumed
nearly 3,000ha. In QLD, five homes in Samson Vale, 30km NW of Brisbane,
were threatened by a fire early this afternoon before the fire was extinguished
by a thunderstorm this evening.
 Maximum
temperature records, albeit short ones, fell in northern WA and off the NSW
coast today. Derby Airport recorded its hottest September day in 16 years of
record, while Lord Howe Island, now experiencing the heatwave drifting off
the continent, had its hottest September day on record in 15 years at the
new airport site.
While
states farther north battled bushfires, snow fell to around 600m
in Tasmania today. There was 9cm of snow on the ground at Lake
St Clair this morning, after 15mm (melted precipitation) fell overnight.
Tarraleah Village reported a 9am snow
depth of 2cm.
Sources: NSW RFS, Northern Daily Leader, ABC, News.com, SMH, Age,
AAP |
