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Sydney (dpa) – Three German backpackers and a local farmer were reported killed in bushfires on the south coast of Western Australia Wednesday. The German man and two women were killed in their car as they tried to flee the raging bushfires, the broadcaster ABC reported local people near Esperance saying. A police spokesman declined to… Continue reading Three German backpackers reported among dead in Australian bushfires |
Tag Archives: Australia
NASA satellite captures image of Australian wildfires
Satellite imagery of wildfires is something we are certainly used to seeing here in Colorado, particularly the last couple of years. Summertime in Australia brings wildfire danger as well and a NASA satellite captured smoke billowing from a blaze down under.
Much of Australia has been gripped by record-setting heat in recent weeks thus leading to the increased fire danger. The image from NASA’s Aqua satellite shows one of the blazes burning.
From NASA:
“In January 2014, an intense heat wave and strong winds fueled an outbreak of hundreds of bushfires in South Australia. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this image of grass and shrub fires raging in Yumbarra Conservation Park on January 16, 2014. Red outlines indicate hot spots where MODIS detected unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fire. Northerly winds blew large plumes of smoke out over the Great Australian Bight. Members of the aboriginal community of Koonibba were preparing to evacuate as a large fire headed in the direction of the town, according to the Australian Broadcasting Company.”
Australian family shares terrifying story, photos of escape from wildfire
Record-setting heat and tinder dry conditions have brought devastating bushfires to Australia in recent weeks, hitting the island state of Tasmania the hardest. One family’s harrowing escape was captured in terrifying detail with pictures of them fleeing to water to avoid the fast moving flames. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com and check out the amazing photos.
Video captures stunning waterspout in Australia’s Batemans Bay
The normally tranquil ocean front of New South Wales, Australia saw much different conditions as Mother Nature brought severe thunderstorms to the area on Sunday. In addition to lightning and hail, a massive waterspout ripped through Batemans Bay’s waters. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com or click here to watch the video.
Australian Outback bushfire spawns amazing fire tornado
While North America has dealt with a deadly and devastating wildfire season, Australia as well has seen many bushfires rage across its wild lands. One fire in recent days burning near Alice Springs spawned a rare fire tornado that whirled through the Outback for 40 minutes. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com and check out the amazing video.
Flood weary Queensland, Australia struck by tropical cyclone
Devastating flooding over the past month and a half inundated hundreds of thousands of square miles in the Australian state of Queensland. The last thing the weary residents needed was more stormy weather but that is what came in the form of Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi.
Just a few days ago Tropical Cyclone Anthony made landfall on Australia’s northeast coast. Mercifully it was a relatively small storm. The same cannot be said of Yasi.
Yasi landed at midnight local time on Thursday as a powerful Category 5 storm packing wind gusts to 186 mph. Tens of thousands of residents fled the storm as it approached and reports of down trees, roofs ripped off homes and widespread power outages are being seen.
As reported by the Natural Disasters Examiner:
“This is a cyclone of savagery and intensity,” warned Prime Minister Julia Gillard. “People are facing some really dreadful hours in front of them.”
Accompanying the damaging wind was destructive storm surge more than six feet high that will likely submerge low lying coastal areas. Rains from the storm are sure to drench ground already saturated from the massive flooding Queensland has seen in recent weeks and new flooding is likely.
The storm has moved inland and is near the town of Georgetown. It still is packing powerful punch as a Category 3 cyclone with gusts in excess of 127 mph (205 kph).
Related: NOAA satellite imagery of the flooding in Australia (Examiner.com)
Aussie teens learn what type of flotation device not to use in a flooding river
Sometimes you just can’t save people from themselves. With Australia battling flooding across four of its states, emergency officials have had their hands full providing relief and rescuing those affected by the disaster. The Natural Disasters Examiner reports about how the decision by a young couple to test the floodwaters with inflatable sex dolls earlier this week was not met with amusement by authorities.
The 19-year-old couple chose to enter the waters of the Yarra River near Melbourne with inflatable sex dolls to aid them in their swim. The rushing waters apparently were too much for the pair – and the dolls – and they soon found themselves in danger.
- Don’t miss – NASA & NOAA satellite imagery of the flooding in Australia (Examiner.com)
The young lady held onto a tree while her companion and his doll stood watch and began yelling for help. A passerby called police and rescue units retrieved the couple from the river.
According to The Telegraph, officials told the couple that sex dolls were “not a recognized flotation device.” Authorities were not pleased to have had to divert resources for a rescue that should not have been necessary.
Flooding in Australia has become a disaster of gargantuan proportions as hundreds of thousands of acres across four states have been flooded. More than 30 people have been killed and tens of thousands of people are now homeless.
Australian floods continue unabated flooding hundreds of thousands of square miles
The death toll from the relentless flooding in Queensland, Australia continues to climb as four people were killed in a flash flood. The rising waters have inundated an area covering hundreds of thousands of square miles and now threaten the city of Brisbane.
The most recent fatalities, two adults and two children, occurred near the city of Toowoomba when flash floods swept their vehicle from the road. A wall of water as high as 26 feet (eight meters) raged through the area in the wake of a rainstorm.
Cars, furniture and people were tossed around by the rushing waters and search and rescue operations continue as fears of additional deaths weigh heavily. The waters hit with enough intensity to move houses from their foundations and landslides covered highways.
Premier Anna Bligh told a press conference, “Mother Nature has unleashed something shocking on Toowoomba.”
- Don’t miss – Latest NASA satellite images show expanding floods in Australia (Examiner.com)
Continue reading Australian floods continue unabated flooding hundreds of thousands of square miles
Flooding in Australia reaches ‘biblical proportions’, turns deadly
Residents of Australia’s state of Queensland are facing an extraordinary deluge following record-setting rain. In recent weeks an unusually heavy rainy season coupled with Tropical Storm Tasha has affected an area of land bigger than France and Germany combined.
Queensland’s state treasurer Andrew Fraser told media last week, “It is a disaster of biblical proportions.”
NASA satellite measurements of the rainfall indicated from 10 to 16 inches of rain fell within a week. Many rivers have overrun their banks including the Fitzroy River which is sending water into the city of Rockhampton.
Disaster declarations have been made for an area encompassing 366,000 square miles and 41 of Queensland’s 73 municipalities. An estimated 200,000 residents are affected by the floods and tens of thousands have been evacuated.
Government officials said 22 towns were either entirely flooded or isolated by flood waters. At least 10 deaths have been attributed to the flooding and rivers have yet to crest.
For more, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner:
Queensland, Australia readies for Tropical Cyclone Ului
The eastern coast of Australia was on high alert as Tropical Cyclone Ului prepared to make landfall in Queensland. Packing winds approaching 75 mph (165 km/hr), the government has begun evacuations in advance of the powerful storm.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said that Ului had shown intensification over the past six hours and was warning it may strike land as a Category 3 storm packing winds to 105 mph (170 km/hr). Very destructive winds are forecast to begin affecting coastal areas late Saturday night and into Sunday morning.
Landfall is expected 625 miles north of Brisbane (1000km) between Bowen and Proserpine. As with any cyclone, the wind presents the most immediate danger. However heavy rain raises the risk of severe flooding as 8 to 12 inches is expected in the hardest hit areas.
In advance of the storm, Queensland issued a disaster declaration which clears the way for the government force the evacuation of those at risk. Currently the communities Townsville, Burdekin, Rockhampton, Whitsunday, Charters Towers, Mackay, and Isaac fall under the mandatory evacuation orders. Resort areas along the Great Barrier Reef have already been evacuated.
For the complete forecast map and details, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.