Heat wave taking it's toll

[LeftyHoges]

Well the heat wave here in Australia has finally done some very real damage. It's been expected for the last few weeks and with temperatures in our state hitting 47.9*C (118*F) fires have started and have been very difficult to impossible to fight.

Its been estimated that 40 people have died over the state and I just learned that Horsham Golf Club, just over 2 hours from me, has been completely destroyed by the fires.

The club had just recently built a new 2-story clubhouse and completed course works that had them ranked as the 38th best course in Australia.
Obviously the loss of life is a huge shame, but the course is too. This was the best course within 4 hours of me by a large margin. A bit surreal to know I wont get to play it again.

I would like to pay tribute to those men and women who are risking their lives to try and save many towns and cities in what is becoming one of Australia's worst natural disasters. :australia

If anyone is interested in reading about whats going on, I have a link here...

 

[warbirdlover]

Actually, I think a course can be rebuilt fairly quickly if it was a links type. Don't give up on it being permanently gone.

118º F? Yikes. :shocked:

 

[LeftyHoges]

Actually, I think a course can be rebuilt fairly quickly if it was a links type. Don't give up on it being permanently gone.

118º F? Yikes. :shocked:

Nope, parkland style course. Don't know the full extent of the damage so far but the rumours I've heard are not good.

And yes, it's frickin hot! :faintthud

 

[Clugnut]

And the northern hemisphere is in a deep freeze. We had below freezing in 90% of the nation one night this week. That's crazy.

Makes you think that maybe its all about balance, the weather. Northern is colder than normal, southern is hotter than normal. Northern ice cap is shrinking, southern ice cap is growing.

 

[BigJim13]

And the northern hemisphere is in a deep freeze. We had below freezing in 90% of the nation one night this week. That's crazy.

Makes you think that maybe its all about balance, the weather. Northern is colder than normal, southern is hotter than normal. Northern ice cap is shrinking, southern ice cap is growing.

Yeah, it was at or below zero every night this past week. It got to 25* today and it felt like a heat wave.

 

[LeftyHoges]

Well, the death toll from these fires has reached 126 and still growing. 750 + homes destroyed and over 330,000 hectares (815,000 acres) burnt out.

This is horrible and now quite easily Australia's worst ever natural disaster. Ironically, the northern state of Australia (Queensland) has flooding.

What the hell is going on? :faintthud

My thoughts go out to all the victims and families of these disasters. Huge praise to Police, Ambulance, Country Fire Authority, and Department of Sustainability and Environment for all their hard work and efforts. Hope it is all over soon, though not likely from recent reports.

A sad week in Australian history...

 

[JEFF4i]

What a horrible punch-line! That wasn't even funny!

 

[saki]

Lefty.. is your community in harms way? It is unbelievable what is happening in Oz at present what with Vic & SA fires and our floods in the north. It is truely a time of mourning and bonding together.

 

[LeftyHoges]

What a horrible punch-line! That wasn't even funny!

Sorry Jeff, don't quite follow...

Lefty.. is your community in harms way? It is unbelievable what is happening in Oz at present what with Vic & SA fires and our floods in the north. It is truely a time of mourning and bonding together.

Fortunately no. Very small fire near me that was quickly controlled. Few fires an hour and two hours north of me where the Horsham Golf Club was burned out. Came close to my GF's folks. Here is a map showing a few things.

The red dots are controlled fires, the red stars are contained fires and the flames are still burning out of control fires. Pretty scary north and east of Melbourne.

Are you anywhere near the floods? What's caused it all? Sorry, haven't really kept up with QLD with all our trouble!

 

[Loy]

Heat wave? Heat wave? How about you take some of our DEEP FREEZE up here in the Northern US?

 

[xamilo]

I haven't been home for the summer so I have been a little outside of the problem for such and the fact of living in Sydney which is not suffering from such problem. I'm very sorry about what's happening to you guys down there, and all my blessing to people who have lost their loved ones, their houses, their belongings; all my cheers to firefighters and police trying to reduce the issue as much as they can to help our people....

 

[ClairefromClare]

It just sounds horrible there. And I heard about the floods letting alligators (or crocs?) loose and five year old boy being killed by one...

Just awful all the way around.

 

[LeftyHoges]

It just sounds horrible there. And I heard about the floods letting alligators (or crocs?) loose and five year old boy being killed by one...

Just awful all the way around.

Yeah crocs here. Monsoonal rains overfilling the rivers and the crocs are coming up and down stream with it.

Absolutely crazy! :real angry:

 

[Louie_T07]

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who have lost homes and or loved ones. I give big shout outs to all the emergency crews who are doing what they can to get things under control.

I was hearing on the news, some of these fires were started diliberatly? can anyone confirm this??

 

[TheTrueReview]

....

I was hearing on the news, some of these fires were started diliberatly? can anyone confirm this??

Yes, the media are reporting the bushfires are being treated by the authorities as an arson investigation.

Yesterday they were reporting the police saying an arrest will be imminent. I don't know if that is correct or not. Sometimes the police let out those sorts of statements to panic & 'smoke out' a suspect (no pun intended).