PA ImagesExperts believe yesterday, November 11, may have been Australia’s driest day since weather records began 137 years ago.
A forecast map for Monday showed zero rainfall predicted for the entire mainland of Australia, with just small amounts expected in Tasmania.
Today, the Bureau of Meteorology confirmed that just about every single part of the country remained dry.
PA ImagesA spokesperson said, via MailOnline:
While it remained dry across most of Australia, during the 24 hours to 9am today rainfall was recorded in locations in both Victoria and Tasmania.
In Victoria, totals were mostly below 3 mm (5 mm at Ferny Creek). Some over 10 mm in Tasmania.
If there had been no rain at all, it would have been the first time in Australia’s history.
Bureau of MeteorologyThe spokesperson continued:
The team can’t comprehensively identify a day in our records where there hasn’t been rain somewhere on continental Australia.
The spectacularly dry day comes after residents living near bushland in Sydney were warned to prepare for evacuation as the city faces an ‘unprecedented level of bushfire danger’.
Sydney is currently facing ‘catastrophic’ conditions, with many weather experts fearing heights of 37°C, combined with high speed winds and low levels of humidity, could lead to the ‘perfect sandstorm’.
The Army is currently on standby, ready to get helicopters out to evacuate endangered residents who are living in the 100,000 homes believed to be at risk, amid warnings of ‘the most dangerous bushfire week the nation has ever seen’.
PA ImagesOn Monday, the Rural Fire Service said:
Some fires may start and spread so quickly there is little time for a warning, so do not wait and see.
There are simply not enough fire trucks for every house. If you call for help, you may not get it. Do not expect a firetruck. Do not expect a knock on the door. Do not expect a phone call. Your safest option will always be to leave early.
RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said 50 fires were burning across New South Wales and around 25 of them were uncontained.
At the time of writing, none of the fires have reached the emergency level, however Fitzsimmons says he expects some to do so today, November 12, as a result of the ‘catastrophic’ conditions.
Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the fires.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.