Electrical storms in Australia knock out power and spark a hundred new bushfires

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

*Perilous Times and Global Warming

Electrical storms in Australia knock out power and spark a hundred new
bushfires*

By Andrew Drummond

Agence France-Presse

November 20, 2009 05:53pm


COASTAL NSW looks set to get a dose of the record-breaking hot
temperatures seen throughout the state's inland, as lightning storms and
winds spark numerous bushfires.

Temperatures at some centres in western NSW continued to climb late this
afternoon, while a lightning storm passed over the Blue Mountains
starting an unknown number of new fires.

Those storms also knocked out power supply to homes and businesses.

Some 9000 addresses on Sydney's northern beaches and some on the Central
Coast were without power because of the storms, EnergyAustralia said in
a statement.

Meanwhile, the Rural Fire Service (RFS) is battling numerous blazes,
fanned by winds up to 60km/h, while metropolitan fire crews fight house
fires believed started by lightning at Castle Cove and Campbelltown in
Sydney.

The bushfires of most concern are at Bilpin in the Hawkesbury region,
burning through about 150 hectares of inaccessible, steep national park
terrain, RFS Assistant Commissioner Rob Rogers told AAP.

"They are not going to be put out in a hurry, they are going to burn for
some time," Mr Rogers said of the major fires.


"All up, we're looking at more than 90 bush fires burning (in NSW). We
are working fairly hard at the moment, just trying to keep them as small
as possible."

Bourke, in west NSW, yesterday recorded its hottest November day,
peaking at 46.2 degrees, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jane
Golding said.

That record had not been broken at 4pm AEDT today, but Ms Golding said
temperatures were still on the way up.

Despite an extension of fire bans, which left only the far north coast,
New England and the north coast free of bans, parts of the state will
get some relief from the heat tomorrow.

"We've got a bank of cloud which is meant to build up across the
southwest of the state," Ms Golding told AAP.

"All of the places in the southwest of the state look like they will be
getting 10 degrees lower than the last few days."

Tomorrow, a sea breeze will keep coastal NSW milder, but that relief
will disappear on Sunday.

"Sunday for Sydney looks like a really hot day," Ms Golding said.

"Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and the eastern quarter of the state
looks like it's going to be very hot, without any sea breeze, meaning it
may be the hottest it has been for some time at close to 40 degrees on
the coast."

As the heatwave continues, authorities warn of poor air quality that may
affect people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.

NSW Health said ozone pollution got worse on hot, still days, and
advised people to stay indoors if possible.