Catastrophic fire danger issued as most of SA expected to break hottest November day record
Parents are reminded to be on alert this afternoon for details of any school closures tomorrow, as the CFS takes the extraordinary step of declaring a statewide total fire ban for today.
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The Country Fire Service has taken the extraordinary step of declaring a statewide total fire ban for today to safeguard against catastrophic bushfire conditions forecast tomorrow.
SA is bracing for record-breaking temperatures and strong winds.
Several parts of the state will face extreme bushfire threats tomorrow – when 22 locations are forecast to swelter through their hottest November day on record – as most of the state soars above a scorching 40C. Catastrophic fire danger ratings have been forecast tomorrow for West Coast, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Mid North and the Mount Lofty Ranges.
Becoming very hot across most of South Australia on Wednesday with many locations forecast to reach over 40°C. ðŸŒ¡ï¸ Check your latest forecast at https://t.co/FEezkdhfjA pic.twitter.com/hPgVLqkxHV
— Bureau of Meteorology, South Australia (@BOM_SA) November 17, 2019
Parents are reminded to be on alert this afternoon for details of any school closures tomorrow.
If the CFS gives notice of a forecast catastrophic fire danger day, schools and preschools in the relevant fire-ban districts that have a bushfire-risk rating of R1 or R2 will be directed to close automatically.
Adelaide’s temperature is expected to reach 30C today.
CFS chief officer Mark Jones said total fire bans were declared across the state for today as a precaution.
Such a move had only been made a couple of times in the past 10 years, he said.
“None of the areas are at no risk at all and we are very concerned,” he said.
“It’s pretty unusual we take a precautionary fire ban, and we hope people would realise we’ve done so in response to the severity of the conditions we’ve forecasted.
“Therefore, we are putting restrictions on activities (today) to minimise the risk of fires starting, which may not be fully extinguished by Wednesday.”
Victor Harbor, Nuriootpa, Murray Bridge, Robe and Lameroo are some of the areas expected to break their hottest November day record tomorrow. Adelaide’s West Tce is expected to reach a maximum of 42C, which would nudge the record of 42.7C set on November 30, 1962.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Paul Lainio said potentially record-breaking temperatures, gusty winds reaching 40-50km/h and dry conditions made for “extremely dangerous” conditions.
“The heat we saw over the past few days in Western Australia is now moving into South Australia,” Mr Lainio said. “We’re looking at temperatures peaking 8-18C above average for Wednesday, ahead of a cold front that’s accompanied with strong winds.”
Sky News Weather meteorologist Rob Sharpe said: “The fire weather is really ramping up and the focus this week won’t be in NSW or Queensland, but in South Australia.”
Earlier this month a strong front brought warmer temperatures to SA, creating dangerous conditions for a large stubble blaze that burned for days near Port Lincoln.
CFS was monitoring and extinguishing hot spots at Duck Ponds to prevent reignition.
CFS volunteer Brady Starfield said hot days in November were not unusual, but the turbulent weather added an extra danger to tomorrow’s scorching conditions.
“The main factor is going to be the wind,” he said.
“People definitely need to have their bushfire action plan ready. It makes our lives easier because you don’t have the chaos of people trying to figure out what to do in that situation.”
The final fire danger ratings and total fire bans for tomorrow will be issued at 5pm today.