Temperatures soar
WHILE the forecast promised a little respite from the heat today, the Bombala district has joined the rest of the country in sweltering through a remarkably hot January.
According to Weatherzone, the hottest days so far have been both January 5 and last Friday, January 18, with both reaching 38°C. But we have reports from locals around the district who assure us they recorded 40°C at least.
This is significant, given that the highest temperature on record for January in Bombala was the 40°C that was experienced on January 31, back in 2009.
And it’s not just these record-brushing days that have us seeking out the air conditioning. The average maximum temperature for the month is 30°C, and with a couple of randomly cool days having brought this figure down, it’s safe to say…it’s hot out there!
With dam levels shrinking, grass being replaced by dust and gardens struggling to survive, the 13.8mm of rain received throughout the month so far has done little to help the situation, nor have the winds.
This has resulted in water restrictions affecting the township of Delegate for the first time, with Bombala and Delegate now both on Level 1 restrictions. (Please see Page 3 for details).
On the positive side of things, the district has been very fortunate when it comes to the threat of fires, with minor incidents only being experienced and brought under control quickly.
Of course a number of our Rural Fire Service members and other personnel have been helping with fire control efforts further afield, with blazes being controlled in the nearby Kybean Valley, Brogo and Millingandi.
All of this heat and the threat of fires has seen fire restrictions at their highest and the region’s forests closed on the worst days, and as we reported last week, we’re not out of the woods yet.
While there are some possible showers predicted this weekend, the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting that widespread and enduring above average temperatures are here to stay through to April.
Better fill up those ice trays!
