Australian Heat Wave Claims Lives Amid Bushfires, Blackouts



Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- A record heat wave may have claimed at least 22 lives in South Australia as neighboring Victoria battles bushfires and power outages that have shut businesses and led to public transport chaos in both the states.

The heat has been blamed for a surge in sudden deaths in South Australia, John Hill, the state’s health minister, told Sky News. In Melbourne, the nation’s second-largest city, 500,000 homes lost power, the city’s casino had to close its doors and hundreds of train services were canceled.

Melbourne, host city for the Australian Open tennis tournament, posted three straight days of temperatures above 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time in recorded history. The South Australian capital of Adelaide is experiencing its hottest streak since 1908.

“They could be people who are elderly who have succumbed to heat stroke or some exhaustion as a result of the heat,” Hill said. “The ones I am most concerned about who are isolated and live by themselves.”

Today’s forecast high for Melbourne is 37 degrees while Adelaide is expected to reach 40 degrees according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Web site.

More than 500 firefighters are battling bushfires covering 6,000 hectares (14,800 acres) in eastern Victoria, according to the Country Fire Authority.

In the town of Booolara, 15 homes have been lost, while there haven’t been any reports of fatalities, the News.com Web Site reported.

Power Outage

An explosion at an electrical substation in Melbourne’s outer suburbs cut power to half a million homes overnight while at Crown casino about 5,000 workers, gamblers and restaurant patrons were evacuated when power was lost and a back-up generator failed, News.com said.

Connex, operator of Melbourne’s train and tram system, canceled more than a dozen runs today, adding to the 800 trains that didn’t operate as scheduled this week as the heat caused train breakdowns and buckled tracks.

The Victoria government provided free public transport yesterday to the city of 3.8 million people to compensate commuters. Connex, a unit of Paris-based Veolia Environnement SA, operates public transport in the city while the government retains ownership of tracks, stations and most of the trains.

The heat has left city beaches deserted during the day, while thousands are flocking to them in the evening to cool down.

“People aren’t accessing the beach during the day because it’s so incredibly hot and the sand is burning people’s feet,” Guy Britt, a spokesman for Lifesaving Victoria, said yesterday.

Last night’s record-breaking semi-final between Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco was played under open skies after the retractable roof at Melbourne Park was closed earlier in the day when the temperature reached 44.2 degrees Celsius.

The match lasted five hours and 14 minutes, the longest ever at the Australian Open.

Bloomberg

Adelaide Temps for the Last Week

26/01/09 - 36.6 C
27/01/09 - 43.2 C
28/01/09 - 45.7 C (2nd hottest day on record, with the highest low of 33.9 C ever recorded)
29/01/09 - 43.4 C
30/01/09 - 43.1 C
31/01/09 - 41.1 C
01/02/09 - Expected 40 C
02/02/09 - Expected 39 C
03/02/09 - Expected 38 C
04/02/09 - Expected 38 C

SA SES Heat Health Warning

The State Emergency Service (SES) and SA Health are warning South Australians that the current heatwave is a threat to public safety.

There have been significant SA Ambulance call outs and an increase in people presenting to Adelaide metropolitan hospitals, some suffering from heat associated illness. Heat related illness can result in severe health issues and can be fatal.

The SES and SA Health urge the public to exercise extreme care during the heatwave and to take the following precautions:

Make contact with elderly relatives, friends and neighbours.

Drink plenty of water and avoid alcoholic and caffeinated drinks.

Be aware of the symptoms of heat stress.

Stay indoors and close curtains during the day.

Open up your home at night if cooler winds occur.

Use air-conditioners and fans wherever possible or visit public facilities such as shopping centres, cinemas and libraries.

Take cold baths or showers and use ice packs or wet towels to cool down.

Remember that cordless telephones do not work during power outages.

Make sure you have alternative means of communication.

Limit outdoor activities to mornings and evenings.

Consider the safety of your pets and animals.

Wet them down and ensure they have adequate shade and water.

Stay tuned to this radio station on a battery powered radio for more information.

For up to date warnings and further information on the weather forecast please visit the Bureau of Meteorology's website at http://www.bom.gov.au

If you are feeling unwell, contact your local GP or telephone Healthdirect Australia on 1800 022 222. For immediate medical attention telephone 000.

SMS sent from the Govt of SA to all mobile phones

Quote:For urgent assistance phone 000

IMPORTANT SA GOVERNMENT HEAT HEALTH WARNING

Heat Stress can kill, stay cool, drink plenty of water, check the safety of vulnerable neighbours, listen to your radio

Quote:Melbourne, host city for the Australian Open tennis tournament, posted three straight days of temperatures above 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time in recorded history.

I like the hot weather but that`s going too far.

Deadly inferno kills 14 in Australia

Times Online

Gale-force winds and scorching temperatures turned raging wildfires sweeping southeastern Australia into a deadly inferno, killing 14 people.
Dozens of homes have been destroyed by the blazes, and Victoria state deputy police commissioner Kieran Walshe said officials feared the death toll could be "in the 40s".

Tens of thousands of firefighters were struggling to contain blazes late into the night in temperatures peaking around 47ºC.

Walshe said all the deaths happened in a huge blaze in northwestern Victoria — including six people in one car.

A cool change began sweeping through Victoria late Saturday, but along with falling temperatures came choppier winds that inflamed fires already burning and made them more unpredictable.

Fires also raged in the states of New South Wales and South Australia, but the blazes there were largely contained or burning away from residential areas.

Wildfires are common during the Australian summer, as rising temperatures bake forest land tinder dry and blustering winds fan embers. Some 60,000 fires occur each year, and about half are deliberately lit or suspicious, government research says. Lightning strikes and human activity such as use of machinery near dry brush cause the others.

Australia's worst bushfires occurred on "Ash Wednesday" in 1983 when 75 people were killed in Victoria.

Backyard barbecues and using power tools has been banned in high-risk areas.

Times Online