Wednesday, February 10, 2010

November 20, 2009 11:09 AM

Australia's Capital Set For Another Day Of High Fire Danger

CANBERRA, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- Canberra is set for another day of high fire danger after emerging unscathed from Thursday's scorching conditions, China's Xinhua news agency reported Friday.

Temperatures reached 38.2 degrees at Canberra airport on Thursday, just one degree shy of the hottest November day on record.

A total fire ban for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has been extended to Saturday, and according to the Bureau of Meteorology, low cloud cover could lead to temperatures rising above the forecast 38 degrees to crack the 40 degree mark.

Emergency Service Agency's acting deputy director Greg Kent said fires that start in these conditions could quickly burn out of control.

"I suspect from all reports that it will be very similar to Thursday, again very high temperatures and possibly stiff sorts of winds," Kent said.

"It makes it very difficult to control, and that's the reason that we have a total fire ban and we also have additional resources on stand-by, just so that any outbreaks, if there happens to be one, we can jump on it very quick and hit it hard."

Many Canberrans were worried over what appeared to be a smoky haze clouding the capital on Thursday, but the Bureau of Meteorology's Sean Tarson said it was a dust storm from Central Australia, kicked up by high winds and hot air.

This November is likely to be the hottest recorded in the ACT, with the monthly average temperature currently sitting at 29 degrees, half a degree above the record set in 1982.

The ACT's fire warning is currently listed as severe, which is the third highest level on the new national fire warning system.

Two small grass fires started on Wednesday at Hughes and Red Hill, but firefighters were able to extinguish the flames within minutes.

Authorities have prepared for the elevated fire risk, conducting fuel reduction across the ACT to cope with increased fuel loads caused by heavy spring rain. The ACT Ambulance Service cautioned Canberrans to drink plenty of water.

-- BERNAMA

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