It’s all over for another year, Christmas and New Year’s Eve is now behind us, time to kick on with 2015. Last time I posted on this blog was just before Christmas and I looked at how the weather would be around this nation in my post called Christmas in Australia: What’s It Really like?
The forecast for Brisbane was humid and partly cloudy with temperatures ranging from 21° to 30° but I suggested that I was expecting “Hot, sunny, clear blue skies.”
And on Christmas Day itself, that’s what we got. The kids had a chance to jump in the pool and check out their new water pistols…
On New Year’s Eve the pool was still the place to be as the clock ticked down to midnight…
On other days around the festive season we did get a fair bit of rain though, which is nice, keeps things balanced and the grass lush and green.
But what of elsewhere?
Too hot!
Perth
In my roundup, Perth was going to get the best Christmas weather expecting a nice 32°C, and I suspect they did on the day. Since though they have recorded 44.4°C, that’s just about 112°F. Too hot!
With that heat comes the danger of bushfires and in Roleystone, about 40 minutes drive from Perth CBD, firefighters appear to have a bushfire under control without the loss of any homes or lives.
Melbourne
Melbourne’s forecast was partly cloudy with temperatures ranging from a 13° to 25°. Today, 4 hours or so drive west from Melbourne there is a bushfire threatening houses. Too hot! Around 200 firefighters are battling that one and they need to get it under control because tomorrow and Wednesday it’s going to get hotter.
Adelaide
The brunt of Australia’s heat though is being born by Adelaide Hills. The forecast for Christmas Day was mild with the city expecting a top of just 22° with a 30 per cent chance of showers later in the day and evening.
Right now, something like 800 firefighters are battling blazes in and around Sampson Flat just 30 kilometres from Adelaide. 26 homes have been lost and it’s the worst bushfire they have seen there since the Ash Wednesday blaze of 1983.
Temperatures today were expected to range from 34° to 38°C.
So far, no lives have been lost, but there were fears for a couple of pensioners who went missing for some time, but they have now been found safe and well. 29 people, mostly firefighters, have been injured though.
Image source and to see more images, visit news.com.au.
Yes, it’s bushfire season…
Flood warnings
Elsewhere around the country there are several flood and thunderstorm warnings in place, mainly in northern Western Australia and in certain areas of Queensland. In Northern Territory they are watching to see if the first cyclone of the season is forming.
That completes your weather roundup today from Australia. Elsewhere around the world I hear that the Grand Canyon is looking more like the Himalayas at the moment and the UK is set to be battered by sleet and gales of 80 mph.
I saw a program on TV not so long ago in which they said that if the earth was 10% closer to the Sun or 10% further away, life would not exist on this planet, it would be either too hot or too cold. I think they were right.
If bushfires in Australia worry you, check out my post Bushfires in Australia: What Are the Risks?
Hı Bob,
Your blog is really very helpful, many thanks for this. Wè are also waiting our permissions and may be we will be in February in Sydney. we have 2 kids and we are looking for a good government school. We are thinking either mosman or double bay. Of course im aware of how expensive areas they are but as fas as i learnt the qov.schools in those areas are more qualified and successful. Which do you prefer? Or do you have another idea?
Thanks,
Nil
If you’re asking which I prefer out of Mossman and Double Bay, you’re asking the wrong person. I don’t really know Sydney well enough to pick between the two, you might be better off asking the same question on my page about Sydney, your find it underneath the main navigation menu above for Australian Cities.
Be sure to read all the comments on that page, there is lots of information about the suburbs in the area.
Good luck with your move, Bob
Hi Bob,
I’ve been reading your blog for about 3 years now as we’ve toyed with the idea of moving to Australia.
We are finally making the move in Jan (but to Sydney not your neck of the woods) so just a quick note to say thanks so much for the effort with the blog, its been really appreciated!
Nessa
My pleasure, glad I have helped you in some way. Hope the move works out great for you, let us know how it turns out if you get the chance.
And thanks for being a reader, I much appreciate it. Bob