Gold Coast dry spell could mean bad fire season ahead
HOT weather, westerly winds and a lack of rain has put the Gold Coast on track to record the driest winter in eight years — a concerning statistic to fire authorities.
Beaches & Fishing
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WATER suppliers are receiving up to 50 calls a day from parched homeowners as the city heads for its driest winter in nearly a decade.
The Gold Coast has had only 20 per cent of its average rainfall this month and only 144 millimetres this winter. The dry winter of 2009 produced 151mm of rain.
The dry spell has fire fighters on alert and sweating that the rain forecast for later in the week actually arrives.
The sunny days have been a boon for On Tap Water Deliveries owner Jerry Maher who said he was taking about 50 calls a day from water tank owners.
BURLEIGH WEATHER CAM
“I’ve worked every Sunday for the last month,” said Mr Maher, who has owned his business for around 15 years.
“As soon as you start working on weekends, you know it’s getting drier.”
Authorities are rushing to continue controlled burns in the Hinterland suburbs to reduce the threat of bushfires.
The heavy rains during ex-Cyclone Debbie sparked fast vegetation growth, which has dried and become tinder through the mild winter.
“There is a fair bit of fuel around in the Hinterland,” said Bushfire Education officer Len Jeavons.
“Our temperatures last week were seven or eight degrees above average which will tend to dry the fuel out.”
Weatherzone forecaster Graeme Brittain said the Coast had been unusually dry so far this winter.
“If less than seven millimetres falls ... (for the rest of) August, it will be the driest winter since 2009,” he said.
“The temperatures have been above average for southeast Queensland but as a whole for the state, July was the warmest on record.”
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Michelle Berry said the Gold Coast had recorded less than 20 per cent of its average August rainfall.
However, she said there was a good chance that figure could improve this week.
“Especially the last week, we’ve seen very dry conditions ... and quite dusty winds as well,” she said.
“There’s a slight chance of a shower (today), even a slight chance of a thunder storm (tonight) ... no real good rain-producing systems in the short term.
“Later in the week you will see more onshore winds though. With that, there will be a bit more moisture coming off the water so there’s an increasing chance of a shower or two late in the week.”
Seqwater last night said the Hinze Dam was 98.9 per cent full.