"We warned at the start of ZetaTalk, in 1995, thatunpredictable weather extremes, switching about from drought to deluge,would occur and increase on a lineal basis up until the pole shift. Where this occurred steadily, it has only recently become undeniable. ZetaTalk, and only ZetaTalk, warned of these weather changes, at that early date. Our early warnings spoke to the issue of global heating from the core outward, hardly Global Warming, a surface or atmospheric issue, but caused by consternation in the core. Affected by the approach of Planet X, which was by then starting to zoom rapidly toward the inner solar system for its periodic passage, the core was churning, melting the permafrost and glaciers and riling up volcanoes. When the passage did not occur as expected in 2003 because Planet X had stalled in the inner solar system, we explained the increasing weather irregularities in the context of the global wobble that had ensued - weather wobbles where the Earth is suddenly forced under air masses, churning them. This evolved by 2005 into a looping jet stream, loops breaking away and turning like a tornado to affect the air masses underneath. Meanwhile, on Planet Earth, droughts had become more intractable and deluges positively frightening, temperature swings bringing snow in summer in the tropics and searing heat in Artic regions, with the violence of storms increasing in number and ferocity."
The wobble seems to have changed, as the temperature in Europe suddenly plunged after being like an early Spring, Alaska has its coldest temps ever while the US and much of Canada is having an extremely mild winter. India went from fatal cold spell to balmy again. Has the Earth changed position vs a vs Planet X to cause this?[and from another]Bitter cold records broken in Alaska - all time coldest record nearly broken, but Murphy's Law intervenes[Jan 30]http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/30/bitter-cold-records-broken-in-alaskaJim River, AK closed in on the all time record coldest temperature of -80°F set in 1971, which is not only the Alaska all-time record, but the record for the entire United States. Unfortunately, it seems the battery died in the weather station just at the critical moment. While the continental USA has a mild winter and has set a number of high temperature records in the last week and pundits ponder whether they will be blaming the dreaded "global warming" for those temperatures, Alaska and Canada have been suffering through some of the coldest temperatures on record during the last week.
There has been no change in the wobble pattern, the wobble has merely become more severe. Nancy noted a Figure 8 format when the Earth wobble first became noticeable, in early 2005, after Planet X moved into the inner solar system at the end of 2003. The Figure 8 shifted along to the east a bit on the globe between 2005 and 2009, (the last time Nancy took its measure) as Planet X came closer to the Earth, encountering the magnetic N Pole with a violent push earlier in the day. But the pattern of the Figure 8 remained essentially the same. So what changed recently that the weather patterns became noticeably different in late January, 2012?
The N Pole is pushed away when it comes over the horizon, when the noon Sun is centered over the Pacific. This regularly puts Alaska under colder air, with less sunlight, and thus the historically low temps there this January, 2012 as the wobble has gotten stronger. But by the time the Sun is positioned over India, the N Pole has swung during the Figure 8 so the globe tilts, and this tilt is visible in the weather maps from Asia. The tilt has forced the globe under the hot air closer to the Equator, warming the land along a discernable tilt demarcation line.
The next loop of the Figure 8 swings the globe so that the N Pole moves in the other direction, putting the globe again at a tilt but this time in the other direction. This tilt is discernable in weather maps of Europe, again along a diagonal line. Depending upon air pressure and temperature differences, the weather on either side of this diagonal line may be suddenly warm or suddenly cold. The tilt and diagonal line lingers to affect much of the US and Canada, but the Figure 8 changes at this point to be an up and down motion, pulling the geographic N Pole south so the US is experiencing a warmer than expected winter under a stronger Sun. Then the cycle repeats, with the magnetic N Pole of Earth pushed violently away again as the Sun is positioned over the Pacific.
Would the Zetas be able to let us know what is causing the early break-up of the Arctic Ice, the ice seems to have taken on a swirling pattern at the same time, would this be wobble related?[and from another]http://www.vancouversun.com/news/national/Canada+Arctic+cracks+spec... The ice in Canada’s western Arctic ripped open in a massive “fracturing event” this spring that spread like a wave across 1,000 kilometres of the Beaufort Sea. Huge leads of water – some more than 500 kilometres long and as much as 70 kilometres across – opened up from Alaska to Canada’s Arctic islands as the massive ice sheet cracked as it was pushed around by strong winds and currents. It took just seven days for the fractures to progress across the entire area from west to east.[and from another]http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=80752&src=iot... A high-pressure weather system was parked over the region, producing warmer temperatures and winds that flowed in a southwesterly direction. That fueled the Beaufort Gyre, a wind-driven ocean current that flows clockwise. The gyre was the key force pulling pieces of ice west past Point Barrow, the northern nub of Alaska that protrudes into the Beaufort Sea.
The Figure 8 formed by the N Pole during the daily Earth wobble has shifted somewhat to the East, due to Planet X positioned more to the right of the Earth during its approach. This was anticipated, and well described in ZetaTalk, the Earth crowding to the left in the cup to escape the approach of Planet X, so the angle between these two planets would change slightly. This shift of the Figure 8 to the East is due to the push against the Earth’s magnetic N Pole occurring sooner each day than prior. Thus instead of occurring when the Sun is high over the Pacific, over New Zealand, it is now occurring when the Sun is high over Alaska. All the wobble points have shifted eastward accordingly.
This has brought a lingering Winter to the western US, and a changed sloshing pattern to the Arctic waters. Instead of Pacific waters being pushed through the Bering Straits into the Arctic when the polar push occurs, the wobble is swinging the Arctic to the right, and then later to the left, creating a circular motion in the waters trapped in the Arctic. Since the Earth rotates counterclockwise, the motion also takes this path. This is yet another piece of evidence that the establishment is hard pressed to explain. They are attempting to ascribe this to high pressure and wind, all of which are not new to the Arctic, but this circular early breakup of ice in the Arctic is new.
The squall line of storms swept into the Interstate 35 corridor just prior to midnight, then a secondary round of storms blew into the area around 2 a.m.
- Tornado Touchdown Causes Damage in Bexar County --
Storms tore through San Antonio overnight causing significant damage.
A tornado damaged homes in Alamo Heights.
-- Storm Damage in Williamson County --
Williamson County emergency responders are trying to figure out if a possible tornado tore through the southeastern part of the county from Coupland to Thrall overnight.
-- Damage in Travis County --
Clifford Power, a generator equipment and service provider, lost its entire roof on Burleson Road due to storms overnight.
- Water Levels Rising --
ATXFloods reports over 50 low water crossing closures due to last night’s severe weather.
-- Train Derailment in Williamson County --
A train derailed between Thrall and Thronedale in Williamson County at around 1 a.m. Monday morning, reports say.
'Atmospheric river' drives ANOTHER catastrophic rain storm towards stricken California dam as the state braces for MORE flooding and officials warn residents they could have just 15 minutes to evacuate
Rain and wind picked up in Northern California on Saturday renewing flood fears
Sections of Interstate-5 in Williams, CA overflowed, blocking traffic for hours
A Pacific storm is expected to hit the area again on Sunday
Rain is expected to continue through Tuesday prompting evacuations
Engineers at the stricken Oroville Dam in Northern California have increased the rate at which they are draining water from the reservoir as a powerful rain storm driven by the phenomenon known as an 'atmospheric river' hits the state.
In anticipation of the storm which threatens widespread flooding in many areas, supervisors increased the amount of water being channeled out of the dam to accommodate incoming rain.
The amount of water flowing down the spillway was increased from 55,000 cubic feet a second (cfs) to 60,000 cfs Sunday afternoon. Earlier this week, outflows were at nearly 100,000 cfs.
However, an evacuation warning is still being issued as residents immediately below the dam could be at a major risk if the dam were to abruptly fail - as they would not be able to receive warning quickly enough to evacuate.
As rainstorms return to Northern California, engineers at the Oroville Dam are working on overdrive to ensure that the troubled barrier doesn't overflow
The first outer rain bands from a powerful Pacific storm headed to Northern California on Sunday brought light rain and wind and renewed warnings of possibly dangerous flooding in the already soggy region
In this view looking north, flood water crosses over Interstate 5 at Williams backing up traffic in both north and southbound lanes for hours on Saturday
The National Weather Service has reportedly urged California residents to be ready to leave their homes on a moment's notice
The first outer rain bands from the powerful Pacific storm headed to Northern California brought light rain and wind and renewed warnings of possibly dangerous flooding in the already soggy region on Sunday.
More wet weather is expected on Monday and Tuesday, and officials are preparing for the worst after Southern California was devastated by the strongest storm in decades earlier this week.
The National Weather Service has reportedly urged California residents to be ready to leave their homes on a moment's notice.
Flood water crosses over Interstate 5 at Williams backing up traffic in both north and southbound lanes for hours on Saturday in Williams, Calif. Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area were facing a weekend return of heavy rain and winds that lashed them earlier in the week before the storm moves out
A discussion post said: 'If you were given less than 15 minutes to evacuate your home would you have everything you need and gas in your vehicle?'
It continued: 'Northern California has become very vulnerable since being hit continuously with storms since early January and we want all residents in our region to plan ahead and be prepared.'
The San Joaquin River at a measuring station near Vernalis remained at 'danger stage,' meaning it keeps approaching the top of levees, said Tim Daly, a spokesman with San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services.
Northwest of Sacramento, several hundred people were evacuated Saturday as overflowing creeks turned the town of Maxwell into a brown pond, with some homes getting 2 feet of water
Comment by Stanislav on February 19, 2017 at 9:56pm
Spring is sprung! Fair weather arrives early for much of the US as Chicago temperatures break 137-year record and Washington experiences highs in the 70s
Chicago recorded temperatures as high as 67 degrees on Saturday
The previous record high was 62 degrees, which was set 137 years ago
Temperatures in frigid Minnesota were 34 degrees above normal
Mild air to remain throughout eastern two-thirds of US until at least next month
Washington, DC saw highs above 70 degrees
A pair of anglers navigate the channel that connects the north and south pools of the lake at Shadyside Park in Anderson, Indiana on Saturday. The weather throughout the Midwest was unseasonably warm, and it will remain so through the holiday weekend. Source: dailymail.co.uk
18 February, 2016. The calendar says we are in the middle of February, but unseasonably high temperatures in the Midwest and along the eastern seaboard on Saturday made it feel like spring.
Chicago recorded temperatures as high as 67 degrees on Saturday, shattering a 137-year record of 62, according to The Chicago Tribune. Temperatures were even higher throughout Illinois and neighboring Iowa, where residents saw the barometer easily surpass 70 degrees.
In Minnesota, one of the coldest states in the country, temperatures reached as high as 57 degrees, which is 34 degrees above normal. Even the Dakotas, which saw temperatures dip to the single digs and below double-digit wind chills during the winter, are enjoying 50- and 60-degree highs. The milder temperatures are expected to last well into the President’s Day holiday weekend, according to The Weather Channel.
The pocket of warmer air stretches from just east of the Rocky Mountains all the way to the East Coast and New England. Detroit was expecting to see temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s, well within range of the 40-year record set in 1976, according to WWJ-TV. <...> Source: dailymail.co.uk
Record-breaking warmth disrupts typical Chicago winter
The warm weather has been the impetus for the restart of architecture tours. Shoreline Sightseeing is beginning its architecture river boat tour Feb. 17, 2017.
17 February, 2017. The unseasonably warm weather broke a century-old record on Friday, drawing Chicago area residents and tourists outdoors — many ditching their coats — as other typical winter activities like ice skating rinks closed shop.
Friday's temperature climbed up to 67 degrees, breaking the 60-degree record for the date set in 1880, said National Weather Service meteorologist Charles Mott.
<...>
"The river is not frozen so we're taking advantage," said Amy Hartnett, Shoreline's director of sales and marketing. "We're certainly hoping for a great crowd."
16 February, 2017. The mercury here dropped to 7.3 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, from 8 degrees on Valentine’s Day, making it the coldest day so far this year. It almost matched the 7.1 degrees recorded on Jan. 9, 1971, and qualified as one of the lowest temperatures yet in the city in 46 years. <...> Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net
Denver Smashes 47 Year Old Record High Reaching 75 Degrees!
16 Ferbuary, 2017. After setting a record high temperature in Denver of 67° on Wednesday, the high soared to 75 degrees on Thursday setting yet another record high – breaking the 1970 record of 70 degrees. Source: denver.cbslocal.com
Oklahoma hits 100° in the dead of winter, because climate change is real <...> 15 Feburary, 2017. Oklahoma just endured a spell of exceptionally hot weather. Mangum, Oklahoma saw temperatures close to 100º F, setting a state record. The average February high in Mangum is 56º F.
It is extremely unusual to see such sweltering temperatures in the dead of winter, but climate change is loading the dice for record-breaking heat. Source: thinkprogress.org
18 February, 2017. The National Weather Service reports Friday's high temperature of 63 degree in the Twin Cities broke a record for the date and fell just one degree short of the all-time record for the month of February. <...> Last year on February 17th, the Minneapolis-St. Paul high temperature was 29 degrees. There have only been four days on record previously when the temperature has reached 60 in February -- in 1896, 1921, 1981 and 2000. The southern part of the state may not have a temperature reading under freezing before next Friday. Source: voiceofalexandria.com
Australia’s new normal … as city temperatures hit 47C people shelter from the deadly heat
19 February, 2017. <...> Australians are no strangers to hot weather. But for the past week large parts of the continent have suffered a heatwave of unusual length and intensity. Temperature records were beaten in cities and rural towns around the country. Shops across Sydney ran out of fans, and New South Wales energy minister Don Harwin urged people to beat the heat by going to the movies. More than 40,000 homes in South Australia experienced blackouts as electricity networks struggled to cope with the increased demand placed on the grid by air conditioners. <...> But in the far-western Sydney suburb of Penrith – 60km from the coast – options for getting out of the heat are few. Penrith has the dubious honour of being Sydney’s hottest suburb, with summer daytime temperatures four or five degrees higher than in the inner city. During last week’s heatwave, the suburb sweltered through an unheard-of 46.9°C – a record for the city. “Penrith has had about 12 days above 40 degrees this summer, which is clearly unusual,” says Karl Braganza, climate monitoring manager at the Bureau of Meteorology.
Bathers cool off at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images. Source: theguardian.com
<...>
The heatwave is officially over, but the reality of Australian summers getting hotter is much more serious and far-reaching than a few more hot days each year. Almost every Australian capital city experienced higher-than-average temperatures in January; in Sydney and Brisbane, it was the hottest month on record. That scorching January came after 2016 was the country’s fourth-hottest year on record – a year that, in turn, followed on from 2013, the hottest year the country has ever recorded.
That increasing heat has made an already dry continent even more prone to devastating bushfires. NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons describes fire conditions during the heatwave as “the worst possible... they are catastrophic. We haven’t seen this in NSW to this extent, ever.” Fire conditions were even worse than on “black Saturday”, Australia’s worst-ever bushfire disaster, in 2009, in which 173 people died. Less dramatic, but just as worrying, is the rising number of deaths from heat stress, which already kills more Australians than all other natural disasters combined. <...> “There’s a clear trend where those extreme hot days across the continent are increasing, and quite dramatically over the past 20 years,” Braganza says. “Regarding fire weather – which includes things like wind speed, humidity, the drought factor – we’ve seen a shift in most of Australia’s fire-prone regions towards a longer fire season and an increase in the frequency and extremity of fire events, as well as fire danger days.” Source: theguardian.com
Comment by Gerard Zwaan on February 17, 2017 at 10:27am
Nearly a half of one months rainfall in just one hour causes chaos in Sydney after thunderstorms dumped more than two month's worth of rain on the city.
Photo The Australian
Records tumble as nearly half of a months rain was dumped on Sydney in just one hour this week
Sydney has experienced a week of extreme rainfall and flooding after thunderstorms dumped more than two month's worth of rain on the city.
In just one hour on Tuesday morning, 48mm of rain fell in Marrickville, 45mm in Canterbury, and 35mm in Sydney's CBD.
This equalled the 48mm total that fell in January, with 32mm between 10.30 and 11am today and more than 50mm has fallen since 9am, making it the wettest day in Sydney since August 4 last year. Flooding was reported in Penrith, Parramatta, Wollongong, Campbelltown and Port Kembla, Marrickville, Zetland, Woollahra and Sydney's CBD. The State Emergency Service had to rescue 13 people trapped by floodwaters, mostly in Marrickville and Zetland.
An apartment building on Ewart Street in Marrickville was in danger of collapsing after a waterhole next to it filled up with water.
Seventeen residents have been evacuated but the threat has since eased and the building will be monitored overnight. http://www.thebigwobble.org/2017/02/nearly-half-of-one-months-rainf...
Red Cross respond as Mongolian herders struggle to survive winter Dzud amidst rising livestock deaths
Mongolian herder Munkhbat Bazarragchaa dragging two recently perished sheeps to a pile of dead animals behind his Ger in northern Mongolia. Mr. Bazarragchaa has already lost ten of his animals due to starvation and cold.
Severe winter conditions in Mongolia, known as Dzud, are threatening the livelihoods of thousands of Mongolian herders in eastern and northern parts of the country. Dzud is caused by the twin impacts of drought in the summer, resulting in insufficient grass in pastures and low production of hay, and harsh conditions in the winter, including heavy snowfall and extremely low temperatures.
More than 157,000 people are affected across 17 of Mongolia’s 21 provinces. Livestock deaths have risen in recent weeks and according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), by 7 February over 46,000 animals had perished from starvation and cold.
Today the IFRC launched an International Emergency Appeal to support the Mongolian Red Cross who are responding to the crisis in four of the worst-affected provinces - Uvs, Zavkhan, Khuvsgul and Selenge. The IFRC appeal aims to raise 655,500 Swiss francs (Euros 614,000 Euros, USD 654,000) to target assistance at more than 11,000 people considered to be most at risk.
Herder Uranchimeg Terbish, from Khuvsgul province has already lost dozens of her animals due to starvation and cold.
"Dzud is impacting almost all the herders in this region. Winter started early and we had heavy snowfall already in November. Since January, I've lost 22 cattle and around 30 goats and sheep”, she says.
Uranchimeg Terbish is afraid she will lose even more animals if the cold weather persists in the coming months.
“Most of my livestock are already weak and exhausted. In the spring, when the animals start to give birth, they become even more vulnerable. I don’t have enough hay and fodder to feed them and keep them alive”, she explains.
Under the IFRC appeal, each family will receive an unconditional cash grant of 245,000 Mongolian Tugrik (100 Swiss francs) to be used to purchase food, clothing, fodder for their livestock, or for any other priority they see fit. The appeal will also support a range of health interventions and initiatives designed to prepare herder communities against future Dzuds.
“Livestock is the only source of food, transport and income for almost half of the Mongolian population and we have to act now to help herders survive over the coming months”, explains Madame Nordov Bolormaa, Secretary General of the Mongolian Red Cross.
This is the second successive year in a row that Mongolia is experiencing Dzud. Last year’s disaster caused the death of over one million animals.
“We are concerned that we will see a repeat of last yearwhen many herders sold their animals while they were still alive and oversupply of livestock resulted in very low market prices”, explains Gwendolyn Pang, Head of the IFRC’s Country Cluster Support Team in Beijing.
“Families with fewer animals to sell are particularly vulnerable. Many will lose their livelihoods and will have no choice but to migrate to slum areas on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar and other urban centres where they will face great social and economic hardship”.
At least one killed, 10 injured after Saudi’s Asir region hit by floods
The Saudi Civil Defense said it rescued over 280 people from the region
At least one person has been killed and 10 injured after severe floods hit Saudi's Asir region on Wednesday, according to local reports. The Saudi Civil Defense said the agency rescued over 280 people from the region, reported local daily Arab News.
The agency also said it received more than 900 emergency calls in the southern cities of Abha and Khamis Mushayt. Social media was filled with pictures of flooded roads, with several cars completely submerged in water.
A report by Al Arabiya claimed that at least 45 students were safely pulled out of a school bus which drowned in the floods. Many schools were closed and warning sirens were also reportedly launched in the Abha dam area.
Asir governor Prince Faisal bin Khalid has directed the Emergency and Civil Defense Committee to follow up on rescue efforts, Arab News reported. Saad bin Abdullah Al-Thabet, spokesman of the governor's office, urged people in the area to be cautious and avoid going near valleys.
According to weather reports, Saudi capital Riyadh was also hit by rain with thunderstorms on Wednesday.
Disruptions from heavy snow continue to strike Tottori
A traffic jam is seen in front of JR Tottori Station in Tottori, on Feb. 13, 2017.
TOTTORI -- Disruptions from heavy weekend snow continued in Tottori Prefecture and other areas along the Sea of Japan on Feb. 13, a day after a path was cleared for some 250 vehicles that had been stranded on an expressway and national route.
The Tottori Prefectural Board of Education cancelled classes at 131 public elementary, junior high and high schools.
It continued to snow on and off in many areas of western Japan along the Sea of Japan coast on Feb. 13 as a result of a wintry atmospheric pattern that has brought the coldest air of the season to the region.
As of 9 a.m. on Feb. 13, the Hyogo Prefecture town of Kami had recorded 194 centimeters of snow, followed by 134 centimeters in the Yogocho district of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, 124 centimeters in Ono, Fukui Prefecture, 75 centimeters in the city of Tottori and 36 centimeters in the Kyoto Prefecture city of Maizuru, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The JMA forecasts that it will likely snow in areas along the Sea of Japan coast in the Hokuriku, Chugoku and Kinki regions on Feb. 14.
Fatal accidents have been reported in areas hit by heavy snow.
A 62-year-old man was found dead in a light vehicle at a residence in Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, at around 1:45 p.m. on Feb. 11. Police concluded that he died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Local police said snow had accumulated to a height of over 1 meter behind the car. The man was apparently taking a break in the vehicle after having cleared snow from the premises of the residence from the morning of Feb. 11. Investigators suspect that snow that had fallen from the roof blocked the muffler of the vehicle, causing exhaust fumes to flow back inside the car.
Separately, a woman in her 80s was found lying in an irrigation canal in the city of Tottori at around 11:50 a.m. on Feb. 12, bleeding from her head. She was subsequently pronounced dead.
Parts of Hungary are on flood alert, with melting ice causing mayhem.
It is the flip side of a rise in temperatures, after weeks of freezing conditions.
Some homes are submerged in the east of the country, with boats and piers also damaged..
When blocks of ice came dangerously close to a power plant, icebreaker vessels were deployed.
On the frozen Tisza River, a ferry was trapped after being swept away by ice floes. Fortunately a military helicopter was at hand to rescue the night watchman on board. Earlier this month, media reports raised the alarm about the flooding risk. Hundreds of kilometres of waterways are affected by the flood alert. And while there are no reports of injuries yet, authorities are urging the utmost vigilance.
Queensland storm clean-up underway after lightning, heavy rain lashes south-east
More than 170,000 lightning strikes were recorded during Monday's storms around south-east Queensland, as the clean-up gets into full swing this morning.
After a weekend of record temperatures, the rain set in on Monday afternoon.
Temperatures dropped 14 degrees Celsius in two hours at Gatton, west of Brisbane, as the storm rolled in.
Storm chaser Thomas Hinterdorfer was at Toogoolawah, west of Brisbane, when the storm hit.
"Complete whiteout, absolute carnage," he said.
The State Emergency Service (SES) was called out to nearly 50 jobs around the south-east.
The SES dealt with a number of tree falls and damaged roofs, while 22,000 properties lost power at the height of the storm.
About half the homes affected were in Ipswich, with the city west of Brisbane being hit with strong winds and hail.
Energex spokesman Rob Preston said extra crews had been rostered to repair damaged power lines.
"A lot of our network is overhead so you're having vegetation coming down on power lines and taking lines down, touching lines together," he said.
"But of course the underground network doesn't get off scot-free, either, because you've got to consider things like localised flooding and things like that."
The heatwave that raised air temperatures in Australia to the highest in the history of the continent’s meteorology has led to massive bushfires all across the state of New South Wales.
Australia is being scorched by a massive "heatwave from hell," as air temperature across the continent spiked to some 45 degrees Celsius, with the highest, 48.5 C, registered in the town of Tarcoola. As Sputnik reported Friday, the Australian fire service announced a nationwide fire ban and bushfire warning. They were right to do so, but they didn't prevent New South Wales from being engulfed in flame.
According to media reports, there are more than 80 out of control bushfires ravaging the state at the moment. The largest of those is some 350 km from Sydney. Firefighters are reportedly going door to door urging residents to evacuate. Thankfully, no loss of life or injury has been reported so far, but there are reports of houses, machinery and other property already lost to fire some 370 km east of Sydney.
The Bureau of Meteorology says the fires that started in the central region and are spreading northeast, producing hot, dry winds that also carry a lot of smoke.
"This will produce widespread severe to catastrophic fire conditions in central and northern districts," the bureau said.
According to NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, the extremity of fire ratings is "simply off the old conventional scale." He said that current fire conditions are worse than the notorious Black Saturday in 2009, which claimed 173 lives and has been described as one of Australia's worst peacetime disasters.
So far, only three teenagers have called for help from first responders. Despite the heat, they had apparently departed on a walking trip to Marramarra National Park, but ran out of water too fast. They were picked up suffering from heat exposure, but nothing worse. First responders are imploring people to stay out of national parks and woods and generally stay indoors to avoid heat stroke.
As Sputnik reported previously, the residents of Australian cities are urged to switch off all electric appliances when not in use and set their air conditioning systems to the highest temperature setting to reduce energy consumption to prevent blackouts. The beaches in urban areas are reportedly closed due to massive biological contamination of littoral waters, which could cause severe health damage when combined with high water temperatures.
You need to be a member of Earth Changes and the Pole Shift to add comments!
Join Earth Changes and the Pole Shift