Damned heatwave

[Chopper]

Melbourne has just hit 45.7 degrees C. Where I am is SUPPOSED to be 41. It ain't.

http://www.weather.com.au/vic/melbourne/current

They sky is grey from smoke and heat haze, the sky is actually so bright it is roughly the colour of the clouds. Fires all over the show, plants have died and the grass is brown. I've been in here 5 minutes to check the weather and sweat is pouring off me. This is by far the hottest I've ever seen this part of Australia. The smell of smoke is quite bad atm, local wetlands are most likely on fire.

On a plus the radar disk for the Shadowtrak I sprayed black, dried in under 5 minutes.

Hows the snow chaps? Gotta dash for a cold shower now.

[Thundershot]

Hi Chopper..Greetings from a sunny Peterborough..

[Chopper]

This was supposed to be Summers last gasp Jonesy. Temp peaked at 46.4. Fires are burning all over the state. Hottest day in Melbs history. Next week is supposed to be low 20's. By the time you get here it'll be (usually) low 30's max.

Beers still good tho Drop me a line if you are in the South East burbs.

Thundershot, I'd kill for some of that snow atm.

[Thundershot]

Sorry, Chopper I would pop some snow in the post for ya..but the local post office has closed due to snow..

[paul463]

That must be hellish for you Mark! Just spent another day freezing my butt off for Queen and country at about 0oC. Must admit thought it was warmer than last weekend, but only just.........

[Chopper]

Fires are still burning this morning. 25 confirmed dead, 15 more suspected so far. Last week we had an over 40 degree run for 3 straight days, and people were dying from just the temps. Mostly old folk. I doubt yesterday will be any different. Some people without air-con sleeping in baths. Anything to stay cool. The beach is useless, you just roast.

The footage of the fires has to be seen to be believed. It was intense. The Hume highway was closed (main highway between Sydney and Melbourne). The fires jumped it. Its dual carriageway with a VERY large gap in between. Probably 100 meters or more. Houses down near me burnt down in under 10 minutes. f*cking insane.

Another thing I noticed yesterday was that there was no bird song at all. Not till the temp dropped near 30 degrees. This morning they are all going silly.

That snow would be lovely guys. Get yer snow shoes on Paul and make for the nearest town

I have to get in and prune the dead limbs of trees today, the leaves on some of them are like corn flakes. To think my Dad has been working in 5 degrees in NZ's summer. Oh, I miss home.

[Crimson Rage]

Hardly any snow on the Wirral, but bloody cold though!
Although I must confess that I'm not a 'sun junkie'. I'm a fan of the rain, even though nobody ever believes me when I say it.
The Australian forest fires are horrible - I just hope it doesn't turn out that some were started deliberately. All those people and animals...

[Chopper]

Some of the fires are the result of arson. 65 confirmed dead so far. The toll is getting higher as the CFA (Country fire authority) is getting out to isolated houses.

I knew it was going to be bad, but didn't think it would be this severe. I am actually quite shocked. The big problem is the winds created by the fires themselves. People left it too late to get out, as they couldn't comprehend the speed at which the fires turned. One whole town is gone. Marysville. 90% of it burned.

Just damned glad it didn't burn this far. Amazingly, yesterday my whole back lawn was brown. A (very) light sprinkle of rain and the green is showing a little already. Victoria peaked at around 47.5 degrees. That is indescribably hot. You have to feel it to believe it.

I come from a country that considers 30 to be extreme. Its just.... hell. Mum, in southern New Zealand, has said there is smoke there from the Aussie fires today. f*cking incredible. Three and a half thousand Km's away.

[Thundershot]

Chopper I've just been watching the B.B.C news about the fires, damn it looks bad.. you be careful & look after yourselves..