45.1˚C here today

[nissanneill]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

No, wrong surname!

Neill

[wotavidone]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

17th day of the Bangor fire. No end in sight, another heat wave forecast.
Most of the plantation timber in Wirrabara Forest burnt.
Upwards of 55,000 acres burned, 6 houses gone.

People are saying that in a lot of places the fire just went from tree top to tree top, propelled by the winds.
They say the problem with that is, when the wind changes and pushes the fire back over the fireground, usually this is cause for celebration, but this time it finds more fuel and keeps on burning.

Beauty.

[wotavidone]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Just realised something else.
The fire has been through Wongyarra.
I guess that means no annual pilgrimage to gather wild mushrooms and wild pears this year.

[Greenman]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Many of us who are fond of SA have watched your plight with interest and compassion. It sounds like you could do with a cool change and 5 inches of rain.

Our thoughts are with you during difficult times.

[nissanneill]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

That would be nice , but 43˚C yesterday, 34 today and around 40 tomorrow.
No rain in sight, but welcome anytime.
The countryside is ripe for fires and with thunderstorm, comes lightning and fires.
The stat TOTAL FIRE BAN is in force due to "catastrophic fire danger".

Neill

[cobblerdave]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Gudday
Meanwhile in North QLD a tropical low is expected to intensify and cross the coast at Prosopine Friday morning. It will probably be a cat 1, 120 km winds but on top of the king tides they are expecting flooding. Over the ranges out west 70per cent of western QLD is drought declared and are praying that the rain left over will provide relief from the dry. It's certainly a year of extremes for us all.
Regards dave

[Greenman]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

At least this one looks like missing the Cassowary Coast, they can do without another blow. I sat through Larry while it snapped large trees and caused widespread damage and chaos and saw the results of Yasi when it gave Cardwell and Tully Heads a pasting.

This one is less intense and if it crosses the coast at low tide then it may do little damage and bring the much needed rain.

This time last year Bundaberg was floating, some parts literally. This year the place is as dry as a chip. The weather is a little crazy around the whole world right now.

Good luck to those in the path. We will all know the result by this time tomorrow, most likely.

[david s]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

We're in Townsville and the cyclone is heading our way, but only a Cat 1 at this stage. My 76 yo neighbour who live opposite our house has just had a portion of a huge fig tree come down, just missing his house. It damaged the gutter and took out the power cable to his house. I got busy with my chainsaw and I think maybe we'll all be indoors until the thing passes.

It is strange that there are still a lot of people (our PM included) who are not convinced that climate change is a reality.

[wotavidone]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

It is strange that there are still a lot of people (our PM included) who are not convinced that climate change is a reality.

It is even stranger how many people don't know what Tony Abbot says about various issues.
Actually, our PM does believe climate change is real, he just didn't reckon an emissions trading scheme in Australia would have any effect other than to make our goods even less competitive.

Tony Abbott - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's very fashionable to hate him, but most of the people who knock him don't actually know what he stands for....

(I didn't vote Liberal by the way....I did a survey of all the candidates views on gun laws, and voted for the people I thought least likely to tell me I can't go hunting anymore.
I decided that, since I didn't like either the Labor Party (who can vote for a party that can't spell its own name?) and I'm not that impressed by the Coalition, and the Greens are irrelevant, I might as well vote based on an issue close to my heart.)

[david s]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

It is even stranger how many people don't know what Tony Abbot says about various issues.
Actually, our PM does believe climate change is real, he just didn't reckon an emissions trading scheme in Australia would have any effect other than to make our goods even less competitive.

Tony Abbott - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's very fashionable to hate him, but most of the people who knock him don't actually know what he stands for....

(I didn't vote Liberal by the way....I did a survey of all the candidates views on gun laws, and voted for the people I thought least likely to tell me I can't go hunting anymore.
I decided that, since I didn't like either the Labor Party (who can vote for a party that can't spell its own name?) and I'm not that impressed by the Coalition, and the Greens are irrelevant, I might as well vote based on an issue close to my heart.)

Fair enough, but he is on the record as saying climate change is crap.

.... you told that audience in regional Victoria in October last year, "The climate change argument is absolute crap, however the politics are tough for us because 80 per cent of people believe climate change is a real and present danger". In other words, the only conclusion you draw from that is that you are saying, "We have to have a climate change policy because the people believe it's a danger, but I believe it's crap".

read the whole interview if you're interested.
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s2808321.htm

Re the cyclone, it is still around 4 hrs before landfall and we are experiencing strong winds but have not had any rain for the last 12 hours. My rain gauge shows only 65 mm since this morning.

Here's a tip, buy Suncorp shares. They always take a dive when a cyclone crosses, because from media reports the public always gets the message that the damage is way worse than it really is. Their shares dipped 1.2% today and I'd bet my right arm they'll go lower tomorrow when the damage reports come in.

I think we can thank our American friends for the Labor Party spelling error.

[wotavidone]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Fair enough, but he is on the record as saying climate change is crap.

.... you told that audience in regional Victoria in October last year, "The climate change argument is absolute crap, however the politics are tough for us because 80 per cent of people believe climate change is a real and present danger". In other words, the only conclusion you draw from that is that you are saying, "We have to have a climate change policy because the people believe it's a danger, but I believe it's crap".

read the whole interview if you're interested.
The 7.30 Report - ABC

Re the cyclone, it is still around 4 hrs before landfall and we are experiencing strong winds but have not had any rain for the last 12 hours. My rain gauge shows only 65 mm since this morning.

Here's a tip, buy Suncorp shares. They always take a dive when a cyclone crosses, because from media reports the public always gets the message that the damage is way worse than it really is. Their shares dipped 1.2% today and I'd bet my right arm they'll go lower tomorrow when the damage reports come in.

I think we can thank our American friends for the Labor Party spelling error.

I let him off for what he said 5 years ago, based on what he has said since. He was making the whole point that the argument around it all was crap. And it is, IMO, especially the language the media uses. When they call Australia's biggest producers our biggest polluters, they inject a lot of emotion into something that should be a very level headed science based argument.
It's like when they call him the Mad Monk just because he is a practising Roman Catholic. How outrageous is that? So much for freedom of religion.

Anyway, on to the share market, and ways to make money from it. I take it Suncorp shares cycle down every cyclone season? I love shares like that. I'll have to take a look today.

[david s]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

I let him off for what he said 5 years ago, based on what he has said since. He was making the whole point that the argument around it all was crap. And it is, IMO, especially the language the media uses. When they call Australia's biggest producers our biggest polluters, they inject a lot of emotion into something that should be a very level headed science based argument.
It's like when they call him the Mad Monk just because he is a practising Roman Catholic. How outrageous is that? So much for freedom of religion.

Anyway, on to the share market, and ways to make money from it. I take it Suncorp shares cycle down every cyclone season? I love shares like that. I'll have to take a look today.

The "very level headed science based argument" is what is being ignored. It is being replaced by a level headed economic argument. Once again economics before science and safety.With the axing of the Climate Change Commission and the Dept of Science it appears that science is a low priority for our Federal govt. It will be interesting to hear what the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the organization charged with protecting our reef, decides today whether to allow proposed dumping of toxic dredge waste onto the reef. There are other options proposed, but the dumping of the dredge waste on the reef just happens to be the cheapest option. Those poor scientists must all know their jobs are on the line.Will it be their professional integrity or their ability to continue paying their mortgages that makes the decision?

Re the insurance company thing, I feel a bit bad about suggesting there is profit to be made on the back of others misfortune. I'm an investor not a trader, but as a Suncorp shareholder I have seen the shares oversold every time we have a cyclone and this creates a buying opportunity.

The cyclone crossed the coast some 200 km south of us so I hope others will benefit from the rain, there are many who need it. We've had 70 mm in 24 hrs

[wotavidone]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

The "very level headed science based argument" is what is being ignored. It is being replaced by a level headed economic argument. Once again economics before science and safety.With the axing of the Climate Change Commission and the Dept of Science it appears that science is a low priority for our Federal govt. It will be interesting to hear what the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the organization charged with protecting our reef, decides today whether to allow proposed dumping of toxic dredge waste onto the reef. There are other options proposed, but the dumping of the dredge waste on the reef just happens to be the cheapest option. Those poor scientists must all know their jobs are on the line.Will it be their professional integrity or their ability to continue paying their mortgages that makes the decision?

Surely that's a no brainer. Toxic or not, even the layman must know dumping mud on coral is gunna kill it.
Down here, we found a way to dewater it on land and fill some low spots.
Glad to here the cyclone missed you. I experienced torrential rain ( 2 inches in less than an hour) propelled by hurricane force winds once. Very scarey.

[Greenman]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

You are right David - an American born King O'Malley gets the credit for the modernisation of the spelling of the Labor Party back in 1912.

Whoever is pushing the buttons of GBRMPA on behalf of whoever has corrupted the port authority driving Abbot Point doesn't give a rats about coral. They reckon that cyclone Dylan will whip up more turbulence on the reef that the dredging will in a year!! Not sure what science that is based on but there you go! Anyone who has the gall to oppose it will be branded a rampant tree hugging greenie lefty who is hell bent on stifling progress and crippling the economic development of our fair land. All hail the proletariat!!

Anyway, looks like Dylan did little damage and promises to dump some useful rain on some dry bits of our fair land. It does seem to be heading more south now and some of the central north west might not get what they expected and need.

Something is adversely influencing the climate of the world. I don't think we can continue to pollute and expect to keep a pristine place. There is only so much that can be blamed on the methane produced by bovine and porcine herds and to do nothing is an insult to my grandchildren. There is a lot of hot air and BS generated by politics that is not really necessary.

If we could get some respect, dignity and integrity installed in the parliaments of our nation we will all benefit - including my grandkids and the generation after that.

[wotavidone]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

You are right David - an American born King O'Malley gets the credit for the modernisation of the spelling of the Labor Party back in 1912.

Whoever is pushing the buttons of GBRMPA on behalf of whoever has corrupted the port authority driving Abbot Point doesn't give a rats about coral. They reckon that cyclone Dylan will whip up more turbulence on the reef that the dredging will in a year!!

That would be corruption of the spelling.
So a cyclone whips up silt. A problem the coral simply has to deal with. That doesn't justify kicking it while it's down by giving it a dose of dredging spoil.