This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/20/nsw-fires-near-sydney-melbourne-wa-western-south-australia-weather-forecast-victoria-qld-bushfires-catastrophic-extreme-heatwave-latest-news-live-updates
The article has changed 24 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| NSW and Qld fires: South Australia also faces catastrophic bushfires risk – live | NSW and Qld fires: South Australia also faces catastrophic bushfires risk – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Catastrophic bushfire conditions expected for several SA regions, Queensland faces severe fire danger and Melbourne weather forecast for hottest ever December day, as Morrison says he ‘deeply regrets any offence caused’ by holiday. Follow the latest news and updates | Catastrophic bushfire conditions expected for several SA regions, Queensland faces severe fire danger and Melbourne weather forecast for hottest ever December day, as Morrison says he ‘deeply regrets any offence caused’ by holiday. Follow the latest news and updates |
| In about 20 minutes the cool change will begin to sweep through South Australia, starting with Port Lincoln and heading to Adelaide by around 4pm. | |
| Leighton Drury, the NSW state secretary of the Fire Brigade Employees’ Union and a serving firefighter, has slammed both the New South Wales and federal governments over what he calls a lack of leadership and resourcing. | |
| Both the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and the prime minister, Scott Morrison, have consistently said crews in the state have the resources they need to battle the more than 100 fires now burning across the state. | |
| But at a press conference today Drury said the union believed the state’s professional firefighting force was 400 staff short, and he’d been told some regional crews were facing further cuts. | |
| Drury told media that senior Fire and Rescue NSW figures had told him on Thursday that two regional communities – Urunga near Coffs Harbour on the state’s mid-coast and Peak Hill, south of Dubbo –would have their minimum staffing reduced from four firefighters to two as a result of budget cuts. | |
| Drury said the cuts were emblematic of a wider lack of resourcing within Fire and Rescue NSW, the state’s professional fire service. | |
| The union estimates that since 2011 firefighter numbers have remained at best stagnant while the state’s population has grown by approximately 800,000. The union believes the state’s force is 400 professional firefighters short. | |
| “I’m calling on the premier, the treasurer and the emergency services minister to get in a room with Fire and Rescue NSW we know we’re 400 firefighters short across the state, 300 in regional NSW,” he said. “That’s just on current numbers, that’s not to deal with the crisis we’re dealing with right now.” | |
| The state’s professional firefighters have been working alongside the Rural Fire Service volunteers. | |
| “The RFS are doing all they can but, let’s be honest, you can’t ask people to do things for free for months on end they have their own lives. We’re coming into Christmas, they have their own jobs, they’ve got to earn a quid which is why we need professional firefighters to take care of these fires. | |
| “The RFS, they’ve been at this now for three months this is not just the last two weeks. These fires started in August. We’ve been telling the government since March. They’re not listening and they need to fix it.” | |
| And there are 100 fires burning across the state, with half yet to be contained. | |
| The air certainly looks a lot clearer in NSW this morning but the rolling tally of hazardous PM 2.5 over the past 24 hours shows just how badly the state has been affected by the fires. | |
| The worst-hit area over the past 24 hours was Orange, where the PM 2.5 index reached more than 1,000, or 10 times the limit recommended by the National Environment Protection Measure for Ambient Air standard. | |
| Thirty of the 36 recorded sites in NSW exceeded the recommended limits for PM2.5 over the past 24 hours. In greater Sydney the worst-hit area was Oakdale, in Sydney’s south-west, which was five times the limit. | |
| David Littleproud has also responded to criticism of Scott Morrison’s “want to be there” comments that were attacked by Anthony Albanese earlier today. | |
| The emergency management minister says the statement was “nit-picked” and “twisted” and was meant to pay tribute to the desire of volunteers to help out. | |
| “I get the emotion at the moment but we need to cool it a bit,” Littleproud said. | |
| “We’ve got to be careful not to nitpick every statement. [These were] quite innocent comments about the commitment of our firefighters ... I think that is the point he tried to make. To twist it, it is not the time to do it. It is about the professionalism of those men and women.” | |
| Australia’s emergency management minister, David Littleproud, is speaking now. | |
| He says that “retrospectively”, Scott Morrison might not have gone on holiday had he known how bad the bushfire crisis would be. | |
| “You cannot predict mother nature,” he says. “And as this has intensified, obviously the prime minister has made the decision he needed to come back. Retrospectively, it would have been great to know, and he might not have taken his leave.”A reporter asks, given that the fires had begun before Morrison left, should “he probably have stuck around”? | |
| “That’s a matter of commentary,” Littleproud says. He says “there were always mechanisms in place” for other members of the executive to keep people safe in emergencies. | “That’s a matter of commentary,” Littleproud says. He says “there were always mechanisms in place” for other members of the executive to keep people safe in emergencies. |
| “He is a human being and we all know time to recharge. I personally needed time to recharge as well. I am no saint in comparison to these brave men and women on the frontline.” | |
| In contrast, here is the view of Parliament House last night. | In contrast, here is the view of Parliament House last night. |
| An update on the Cudlee Creek fire: The SA Country Fire Service is appealing to people to shelter from the fire in solid buildings. | |
| Eight water-bombing aircraft and 34 firetrucks have been deployed to the out-of-control bushfire burning in the Adelaide Hills amid catastrophic weather conditions, AAP reports. | |
| An emergency warning is in place for the blaze at Cudlee Creek which is burning in a southerly direction. | |
| The Country Fire Service says it is an immediate threat to lives and homes as it burns uncontrolled in grassland. Conditions in the area are continually changing. | |
| A second fire has also broken out north of the city at Angle Vale. | A second fire has also broken out north of the city at Angle Vale. |
| The fires come as SA is set to have its worst day for fire conditions so far this summer, with catastrophic risk declared in six districts. | |
| Areas affected include Cudlee Creek, Lenswood and Lobethal at Mount Crawford, Forest Fox Creek North of Croft Road, between Cudlee Creek and Lenswood. | Areas affected include Cudlee Creek, Lenswood and Lobethal at Mount Crawford, Forest Fox Creek North of Croft Road, between Cudlee Creek and Lenswood. |
| In NSW, evacuees from the fire are recovering from their experiences yesterday and preparing for what is to come. | In NSW, evacuees from the fire are recovering from their experiences yesterday and preparing for what is to come. |
| In the state’s southern highlands, Craig Madsen is in charge of one of the many evacuation centres. | In the state’s southern highlands, Craig Madsen is in charge of one of the many evacuation centres. |
| The Mittagong RSL has become an evacuation site for those affected by the highly volatile Green Wattle Creek fire – the only NSW fire still at emergency today. | The Mittagong RSL has become an evacuation site for those affected by the highly volatile Green Wattle Creek fire – the only NSW fire still at emergency today. |
| Yesterday the flames flared near Bargo, jumped up into the trees, destroyed dozens of homes and injured five firefighters, two of them seriously. | Yesterday the flames flared near Bargo, jumped up into the trees, destroyed dozens of homes and injured five firefighters, two of them seriously. |
| “When that fire flared up, it splits the shire in half, to a degree,” Madsen says. Parts of the region came to Mittagong, more went north to Picton bowling club.“We had some people who escaped to the south to us, and a significant proportion, around Balmoral, Tahmoor, they went to the north.”Today, he says, it has quietened down. But tomorrow the forecast is for extreme danger. | “When that fire flared up, it splits the shire in half, to a degree,” Madsen says. Parts of the region came to Mittagong, more went north to Picton bowling club.“We had some people who escaped to the south to us, and a significant proportion, around Balmoral, Tahmoor, they went to the north.”Today, he says, it has quietened down. But tomorrow the forecast is for extreme danger. |
| NSW is set for “dangerously hot” conditions tomorrow, with maximum temperatures of 47C and treacherous surf. | NSW is set for “dangerously hot” conditions tomorrow, with maximum temperatures of 47C and treacherous surf. |
| And the Bureau of Meteorology warns that when a cool change comes through on Saturday afternoon the winds will be close to gale-force. | And the Bureau of Meteorology warns that when a cool change comes through on Saturday afternoon the winds will be close to gale-force. |
| Saturday could be even hotter than yesterday, when two firefighters were killed and several others admitted to hospital during an exhausting day battling out-of-control bushfires. | Saturday could be even hotter than yesterday, when two firefighters were killed and several others admitted to hospital during an exhausting day battling out-of-control bushfires. |
| The bureau’s acting NSW manager, Jane Golding, said temperatures would again rise into the mid-40s, with Penrith expecting a maximum of 47C and coastal areas hitting the mid-to-high 30s, AAP reports. | The bureau’s acting NSW manager, Jane Golding, said temperatures would again rise into the mid-40s, with Penrith expecting a maximum of 47C and coastal areas hitting the mid-to-high 30s, AAP reports. |
| “That’s dangerously hot weather,” Golding said. | “That’s dangerously hot weather,” Golding said. |
| A gusty cool change is also expected on Saturday, which will bring some relief from the heat for central and southern NSW but create challenging fire conditions. | A gusty cool change is also expected on Saturday, which will bring some relief from the heat for central and southern NSW but create challenging fire conditions. |
| “Those southerlies when they come through [will] be close to gale-force,” Golding said. “The other thing with this system is it is bringing through some swell behind it, so dangerous conditions in the waters on the beach tomorrow as well.” | “Those southerlies when they come through [will] be close to gale-force,” Golding said. “The other thing with this system is it is bringing through some swell behind it, so dangerous conditions in the waters on the beach tomorrow as well.” |
| The good news is that once the cooler weather arrives, it should stick around “for quite a few days”, Golding said. | The good news is that once the cooler weather arrives, it should stick around “for quite a few days”, Golding said. |
| Extinction Rebellion protesters have taken over Sydney’s CBD, staging a dramatic protest on Pitt Street this morning. | Extinction Rebellion protesters have taken over Sydney’s CBD, staging a dramatic protest on Pitt Street this morning. |
| The extreme heat in Victoria has caused several sporting events to be rescheduled or even cancelled. | The extreme heat in Victoria has caused several sporting events to be rescheduled or even cancelled. |
| Melbourne Victory’s W-League match against Brisbane Roar has been moved from Friday night to Saturday morning. | Melbourne Victory’s W-League match against Brisbane Roar has been moved from Friday night to Saturday morning. |
| The game was scheduled to kick off at 5pm on Friday at Epping Stadium but, due to a forecast temperature of 42.6°C at kick-off, the FFA elected to move the game. It will now take place at 10.30am on Saturday, allowing the fixture to be held before the Roar fly back to Brisbane that afternoon. | The game was scheduled to kick off at 5pm on Friday at Epping Stadium but, due to a forecast temperature of 42.6°C at kick-off, the FFA elected to move the game. It will now take place at 10.30am on Saturday, allowing the fixture to be held before the Roar fly back to Brisbane that afternoon. |
| New Zealand’s cricketers have abandoned the opening day of their warm-up game ahead of the second Test against Australia because of sweltering conditions forecast for Melbourne. Team management cancelled Friday’s play on player welfare grounds because of a predicted maximum temperature ranging from 43C to 45C. | New Zealand’s cricketers have abandoned the opening day of their warm-up game ahead of the second Test against Australia because of sweltering conditions forecast for Melbourne. Team management cancelled Friday’s play on player welfare grounds because of a predicted maximum temperature ranging from 43C to 45C. |
| The match against a Victoria XI at Scotch College, scheduled for Friday and Sunday, will become a one-day first-class match. | The match against a Victoria XI at Scotch College, scheduled for Friday and Sunday, will become a one-day first-class match. |
| And Racing Victoria has called off Friday night’s horse racing meeting at Moonee Valley because of the extreme heat. | And Racing Victoria has called off Friday night’s horse racing meeting at Moonee Valley because of the extreme heat. |
| “Following consultation with our vets and the BOM it was determined that abandoning the meeting was the most appropriate decision for the welfare of our horses and participants,” RV said. | “Following consultation with our vets and the BOM it was determined that abandoning the meeting was the most appropriate decision for the welfare of our horses and participants,” RV said. |
| The representative body for rural firefighters has issued a statement mourning the loss of the two volunteers killed last night. | The representative body for rural firefighters has issued a statement mourning the loss of the two volunteers killed last night. |
| The NSW Rural Fire Service Association president, Brian McDonough, said: “The RFS family is in mourning. Our hearts are breaking for the families, friends, and fellow crew members of Deputy Captain Geoffrey Keaton and Firefighter Andrew O’Dwyer from Horsley Park Brigade. | The NSW Rural Fire Service Association president, Brian McDonough, said: “The RFS family is in mourning. Our hearts are breaking for the families, friends, and fellow crew members of Deputy Captain Geoffrey Keaton and Firefighter Andrew O’Dwyer from Horsley Park Brigade. |
| “Our members know that what we do can be dangerous, but nothing can take away the pain we all feel when facing such terrible loss.” | “Our members know that what we do can be dangerous, but nothing can take away the pain we all feel when facing such terrible loss.” |
| You can read more about the loss of these two men, both of whom were fathers, here. | You can read more about the loss of these two men, both of whom were fathers, here. |
| An emergency warning has been issued for a bushfire burning out of control in the Adelaide Hills. | An emergency warning has been issued for a bushfire burning out of control in the Adelaide Hills. |
| The Country Fire Service issued the warning for the fire, which is burning amid catastrophic weather conditions. | The Country Fire Service issued the warning for the fire, which is burning amid catastrophic weather conditions. |
| The CFS says the blaze near Cudlee Creek is an immediate threat to lives and homes. | The CFS says the blaze near Cudlee Creek is an immediate threat to lives and homes. |
| The fire is burning uncontrolled in grassland and firefighters are unable to stop it spreading, AAP reports. | The fire is burning uncontrolled in grassland and firefighters are unable to stop it spreading, AAP reports. |
| The day has barely started but South Australia is already sweltering. It’s not even 10am local time and Adelaide has surpassed the 40C mark. | The day has barely started but South Australia is already sweltering. It’s not even 10am local time and Adelaide has surpassed the 40C mark. |
| The highest temperature so far in SA is 43.5°C, at Roseworthy. | The highest temperature so far in SA is 43.5°C, at Roseworthy. |
| I don’t know if you noticed, but it was pretty hot yesterday. But not that hot, according to the Australian today, which has dedicated a large portion of its fire coverage to assuring readers that the Bureau of Meteorology is “cooling the past”to declare current heat record. | I don’t know if you noticed, but it was pretty hot yesterday. But not that hot, according to the Australian today, which has dedicated a large portion of its fire coverage to assuring readers that the Bureau of Meteorology is “cooling the past”to declare current heat record. |
| It’s a shame this blog doesn’t have emojis, because this seems the occasion for a face-palm. | It’s a shame this blog doesn’t have emojis, because this seems the occasion for a face-palm. |
| The Oz quotes Dr Jennifer Marohasy, who has a PhD in biology and whose previous work on climate change and temperature analysis with the Institute of Public Affairs has been decried as “junk science”. She believes that the methodology of the bureau’s temperature calculations is “totally flawed” and that none of the weather we are experiencing is unprecedented. | The Oz quotes Dr Jennifer Marohasy, who has a PhD in biology and whose previous work on climate change and temperature analysis with the Institute of Public Affairs has been decried as “junk science”. She believes that the methodology of the bureau’s temperature calculations is “totally flawed” and that none of the weather we are experiencing is unprecedented. |