Australia Battling Massive Wildfires And Extreme Temperatures

Australia is facing scorching temperatures and out-of-control bushfires throughout the country, that increase the risk for pyrocumulonimbus clouds — also known as ‘fire clouds’. Every state in Australia has nearly crossed 40-degree celsius temperature.

Crux of the Matter

1. The fires in Australia are growing and have become so massive and powerful that they’re creating their own dangerous weather phenomenon. It is happening through the formation of “pyrocumulonimbus” clouds — what NASA calls ‘the fire-breathing dragon of clouds.’ These fire-induced storms bring little rain but are packed with lightning that can spark new fires.

2. Pyro-cumulonimbus clouds have developed to altitudes over 16km in East Gippsland

3. Temperatures near Sydney have nearly reached 44 degrees celsius.

4. In the town of Mallacoota, around 4,000 residents fled toward the beachside as winds pushed an emergency-level wildfire towards their homes.

5. Many communities have cancelled New Year’s fireworks celebrations, but Sydney’s popular display over its iconic harborfront has not been cancelled.

6. Across the state of Victoria over 2,00,000 hectares of land has already been burnt in the fires.

7. More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed since the blazes began in September. At least 2,000 firefighters are currently battling the fires.

8. NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said, “We’ve got some deteriorating weather conditions over the coming days.”

9. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, “We are expecting more difficult news out of New South Wales and Victoria today as the assessments are undertaken of the terrible fires from yesterday and last night.”

Curiopedia

The cumulonimbus flammagenitus cloudalso known as the pyrocumulonimbus cloud is a type of cumulonimbus cloud that forms above a source of heat, such as a wildfire, and may sometimes even extinguish the fire that formed it. The CbFg was named following the discovery in 1998, that extreme manifestations of this pyroconvection caused direct injection of large abundances of smoke from a firestorm into the lower stratosphere. It is the most extreme manifestation of a flammagenitus cloud. According to the American Meteorological Society’s Glossary of Meteorology, a flammagenitus is ‘a cumulus cloud formed by a rising thermal from a fire, or enhanced by buoyant plume emissions from an industrial combustion process.’ More Info

Curated Coverage

1. Sky News – Australia wildfires: Thousands told it is too late to evacuate as blazes rage on

2. CBS News – Australian bushfires are creating “pyrocumulonimbus” thunderstorms that can start more fires

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#Australia #ClimateChange #Environment #Fire