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/2019/sep/13/queensland-bushfires-firefighters-brace-for-worsening-conditions
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Queensland bushfires: firefighters brace for worsening conditions | Queensland bushfires: firefighters brace for worsening conditions |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Raging bushfires are expected to be exacerbated in Queensland over the next two days as dry winds return fanning scores of blazes across the state. | |
| The fire danger in the south and southeast has returned to very high for Friday and Saturday, and it could reach severe to extreme levels by the middle of next week. | |
| The prime minister, Scott Morrison, will travel to Scenic Rim on Friday to inspect damage, amid close to a dozen homes burning down. Meanwhile, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will visit Stanthorpe. | |
| Queensland Fire and Emergency Services assistant commissioner, John Bolger, said crews had used the last couple of benign weather days to strengthen containment lines. Fifty-five fires are burning across the state. | |
| Bolger said crews were welcoming reinforcements from interstate. | |
| “We have 100 firefighters from Victoria and South Australia. As a matter of interest, we’ve got two New Zealanders flying in today. They are going into Rockhampton as air attack supervisors,” he told ABC TV on Friday morning. | |
| A dry southwesterly wind is expected to sweep southern parts of Queensland from Friday morning, with temperatures also expected to be four to five degrees above the September average. | |
| The state government is turning its mind to recovery plans for fire affected communities, with a focus on rebuilding their economies. | |
| A recovery taskforce is due to meet in the Gold Coast hinterland on Friday, along with another group focused on economic recovery. | |
| State development minister Cameron Dick says support will be offered to people whose livelihoods have been affected by the fires, including workers from the Binna Burra lodge, which was destroyed. | |
| Acting fire commissioner Mike Wassing says Queensland faces a long period of danger through spring and summer. | |
| “This will continue for weeks and potentially months. There is no outlook for rain.” | |
| The link between rising greenhouse gas emissions and increased bushfire risk is complex but, according to major science agencies, clear. Climate change does not create bushfires, but it can and does make them worse. A number of factors contribute to bushfire risk, including temperature, fuel load, dryness, wind speed and humidity. | The link between rising greenhouse gas emissions and increased bushfire risk is complex but, according to major science agencies, clear. Climate change does not create bushfires, but it can and does make them worse. A number of factors contribute to bushfire risk, including temperature, fuel load, dryness, wind speed and humidity. |
| The Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO say Australia has warmed by 1C since 1910 and temperatures will increase in the future. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says it is extremely likely increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases since the mid-20th century is the main reason it is getting hotter. The Bushfire and Natural Hazards research centre says the variability of normal events sits on top of that. Warmer weather increases the number of days each year on which there is high or extreme bushfire risk. | The Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO say Australia has warmed by 1C since 1910 and temperatures will increase in the future. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says it is extremely likely increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases since the mid-20th century is the main reason it is getting hotter. The Bushfire and Natural Hazards research centre says the variability of normal events sits on top of that. Warmer weather increases the number of days each year on which there is high or extreme bushfire risk. |
| Dry fuel load - the amount of forest and scrub available to burn - has been linked to rising emissions. Under the right conditions, carbon dioxide acts as a kind of fertiliser that increases plant growth. | Dry fuel load - the amount of forest and scrub available to burn - has been linked to rising emissions. Under the right conditions, carbon dioxide acts as a kind of fertiliser that increases plant growth. |
| Dryness is more complicated. Complex computer models have not found a consistent climate change signal linked to rising CO2 in the decline in rain that has produced the current eastern Australian drought. But higher temperatures accelerate evaporation. They also extend the growing season for vegetation in many regions, leading to greater transpiration (the process by which water is drawn from the soil and evaporated from plant leaves and flowers). The result is that soils, vegetation and the air may be drier than they would have been with the same amount of rainfall in the past. | Dryness is more complicated. Complex computer models have not found a consistent climate change signal linked to rising CO2 in the decline in rain that has produced the current eastern Australian drought. But higher temperatures accelerate evaporation. They also extend the growing season for vegetation in many regions, leading to greater transpiration (the process by which water is drawn from the soil and evaporated from plant leaves and flowers). The result is that soils, vegetation and the air may be drier than they would have been with the same amount of rainfall in the past. |
| The year coming into the 2019-20 summer has been unusually warm and dry for large parts of Australia. Above average temperatures now occur most years and 2019 has been the fifth driest start to the year on record, and the driest since 1970. | The year coming into the 2019-20 summer has been unusually warm and dry for large parts of Australia. Above average temperatures now occur most years and 2019 has been the fifth driest start to the year on record, and the driest since 1970. |
| “What we’ve seen is extraordinary dry conditions, with the extremes of high winds and high temperatures,” he said on Thursday. “This will continue for weeks and potentially months. There is no outlook for rain.” | “What we’ve seen is extraordinary dry conditions, with the extremes of high winds and high temperatures,” he said on Thursday. “This will continue for weeks and potentially months. There is no outlook for rain.” |
| Winds are forecast to pick up at the weekend, and from Monday to Wednesday temperatures in half of the state will be hotter than the average. | Winds are forecast to pick up at the weekend, and from Monday to Wednesday temperatures in half of the state will be hotter than the average. |
| Police are looking closely at 22 fires to determine if they were lit on purpose, with the commissioner, Katarina Carroll, saying a taskforce has found 13 were caused by an accident, reckless behaviour or deliberate acts. | Police are looking closely at 22 fires to determine if they were lit on purpose, with the commissioner, Katarina Carroll, saying a taskforce has found 13 were caused by an accident, reckless behaviour or deliberate acts. |
| Authorities say there is an element of survivor’s guilt in parts of the Gold Coast hinterland, where some homes were razed while others were left untouched. | Authorities say there is an element of survivor’s guilt in parts of the Gold Coast hinterland, where some homes were razed while others were left untouched. |
| Scenic Rim’s mayor, Greg Christensen, has been trying to steer his community through disaster. “Tragedy comes and goes in life,” he said on Thursday. | Scenic Rim’s mayor, Greg Christensen, has been trying to steer his community through disaster. “Tragedy comes and goes in life,” he said on Thursday. |
| “How it affects us is determined by how much we can focus on the joy inside of us being greater than that which is affecting us from the outside.” | “How it affects us is determined by how much we can focus on the joy inside of us being greater than that which is affecting us from the outside.” |
| In NSW, firefighters could be given some reprieve with weather conditions expected to be “reasonably benign” in coming days. | In NSW, firefighters could be given some reprieve with weather conditions expected to be “reasonably benign” in coming days. |
| But another bushfire was keeping them busy in the Northern Tablelands area on Thursday night, with concerns that it could threaten properties. | But another bushfire was keeping them busy in the Northern Tablelands area on Thursday night, with concerns that it could threaten properties. |
| The Rural Fire Service issued a “watch and act” warning – which was later downgraded to “advice” – for a fire east of Glen Innes. The RFS advised that spot fires ahead of the fire front could threaten properties in the Newton Boyd area. | The Rural Fire Service issued a “watch and act” warning – which was later downgraded to “advice” – for a fire east of Glen Innes. The RFS advised that spot fires ahead of the fire front could threaten properties in the Newton Boyd area. |
| Australian natural disasters minister's complete about face: 'I believe in climate science' | Australian natural disasters minister's complete about face: 'I believe in climate science' |
| Warnings for three massive blazes at Bees Nest near Armidale, Drake near Tenterfield, and Shark Creek in the Clarence Valley remained at “advice” levels as firefighters kept working to bring them under control. | Warnings for three massive blazes at Bees Nest near Armidale, Drake near Tenterfield, and Shark Creek in the Clarence Valley remained at “advice” levels as firefighters kept working to bring them under control. |
| Several regions will experience very high fire danger on Friday, including the far north coast, New England and the northern slopes. The north coast, greater Hunter and Illawarra regions are among those with a high fire danger rating. | Several regions will experience very high fire danger on Friday, including the far north coast, New England and the northern slopes. The north coast, greater Hunter and Illawarra regions are among those with a high fire danger rating. |
| A Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster, Neale Fraser, said while it is expected to remain dry and some areas would face very high fire danger, the weather would be “reasonably benign” in coming days. | A Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster, Neale Fraser, said while it is expected to remain dry and some areas would face very high fire danger, the weather would be “reasonably benign” in coming days. |
| He said a high pressure system meant winds aren’t going to be a factor. | He said a high pressure system meant winds aren’t going to be a factor. |
| Longer term, he added, conditions could potentially worsen towards the end of next week. | Longer term, he added, conditions could potentially worsen towards the end of next week. |
| Bushfires | Bushfires |
| Queensland | Queensland |
| New South Wales | New South Wales |
| Wildfires | Wildfires |
| Natural disasters and extreme weather | Natural disasters and extreme weather |
| Australia weather | Australia weather |
| Gold Coast | Gold Coast |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |