Wild weather

WILD WEATHER When do bushfires occur? What is a bushfire? Associated with drought or extremely hot temperatures/heatwaves' More likely to occur in summer (when it's warmer and drier), but can happen any time of year. Windy conditions are conducive to BUSHFIRES fires spreading • Fires need a spark to ignite, weather conditions help a fire take hold and spread? Where do bushfires occur? •A fire needs three things to exist: air, heat, and fuel. Strong winds make it easier for a fire to spread Where there is vegetation (fuel) to burn Notable bushfire SPOT FIRES CAN CAUSE FIRES TO "JUMP 7 FEB 2009, VICTORIA (BLACK SATURDAY) AHEAD" AND SPREAD MORE EASILY The worst bushfires in Australian history, these fires claimed 2,000 properties and the lives of 173 people What is a hailstorm? When do hailstorms occur? Frozen droplets of rain. Hailstones fall during Any time of the year, but most frequently between October and March' HAILSTORMS hail storms NSW has an average of 45 hailstorms per year Hail forms due to the instability of warm surface temperatures and icy temperatures at altitude. Mountain ranges provide these perfect hail-making conditions Victoria has an average of 20 Where do hailstorms occur? Hail is most likely to form and fall on the mid-latitudes, between 30 and 50 degrees south Notable hailstorm 14 APR 1999, SYDNEY Hailstones recorded as big as 9cm in diameter fell and The most hail-prone region in Australia is along the Great Dividing Range caused extensive and costly damage to the city and its suburbs THE BIGGEST HAILSTONE RECORDED IN AUSTRALIA MEASURED 9cm IN DIAMETER (9x8x8cm), WHICH IS ABOUTTHE SIZE OF A CRICKET BALL! When do What is a cyclone? Called different things in different parts of the world: hurricane in the Americas cyclones occur'0? Cyclone season: November to April, but cyclones in May CYCLONES are not uncommon On average, Australia has an average of 13 cyclones per and Europe, typhoons in Asia A violent storm, with winds that spin around a calm centre - called the 'eye' .They form when a low-pressure year PRICE OF BANANAS BEFORE CYCLONE YASI: $2.99 PER KILO. PRICE IN MARCH 2011 AFTER CYCLONE YASI: $16 PER KILO Where do system moves over warm seas (sea temperatures of about 26 degrees Celsius). cyclones occur? The northern half of Australia (above the Tropic of Capricorn), on the seaboard The rotation of the earth causes the clouds to spin" Half of Australia's cyclones occur in the country's western regions O Notable cyclones 3 FEB 2011, QUEENSLAND (CYCLONE YASI) 1,450km in diameter, Category 5 Yasi moved at 25km/h and lashed Queensland's coast with wind gusts reaching 285km/h2 2 What is a storm? Where do storms occur? STORMS "Severe" thunderstorms are Thunderstorms occur most those accompanied by at least one of thesel4: frequently at the top of Australia, in the tropical region's Hailstones with a diameter > 2cm Wind gusts of 2 90km/h When do storms occur"? Flash flooding Tornadoes Take a look at the graph below SOUTH-EAST QUEENSLAND IS PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS When do storms occur? 250 Darwin 200 150 Brisbane 10 Sydney Melbourne Hobart 50 Canberra Adelaide Perth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Average rainfall by month * Averages are for the period (1971-2000) except for Adelaide (1977-2000). (mm)* WHERE D O WILD WEATHER EVENTS OCCUR? Where do storms occur? Cost (approximation of insured loss) is based on recent (201I and 2013) Thunderstorms occur Number of days of thunder most frequently at the top of Australia, in the tropical region". O 60 + O 50 - 60 severe weather events Source: http://www.insurancecouncil.com.au/statistics O 30 - 40 O 20 - 30 10 - 20 O 0- 10 QLD Cyclone Yasi Cost: $1,412,239,000 2 Feb to 7 Feb 2011 NSW bushfires Coonabarabran Region $35,000,00 WA Perth Bushfires 13 Jan to 19 Jan 2013 Cost: $35,1 28,000 5 Feb to 7 Feb 2011 WA Margaret River Bushfires VIC Severe Storm * VIC Christmas Storm * Cost: $728,640,000 Cost: $53,450,000 22 Nov to 24 Nov 2011 Cost: $487,615,000 25 Dec 2011 4 Feb 2011 to 6 Feb 2011 Tasmanian Bushfires Cost: $86,700,000 4 Jan to 10 Jan 2013 I http://www.csiro.au/en/Organisation-Structure/Divisions/Ecosystem-Sciences/BushfirelnAustralia.aspx 2 http://www.csiro.au/en/Organisation-Structure/Divisions/Ecosystem-Sciences/BushfirelnAustralia.aspx 3 http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Safeguarding-Australia/FireTriangle.aspx 4 http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/fire-and-other-emergencies/major-bushfires-in-vietoria 5 http://www.ga.gov.au/hazards/severe-weather/severe-weather-basics/where.html 6 http://www.bom.govau/nsw/sevwx/1 4april1999.shtml 7 http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/sevwx/hailfact.shtml 8 http://www.ga.gov.au/hazards/severe-weather/severe-weather-basics/where.html 9 http://www.ga.gov.au/hazards/severe-weather/severe-weather-basics/where.html 10 http://www.ema.gov.au/www/ema/schools.nsf/Page/Get_The_FactsCyclones http://www.ema.gov.au/www/ema/schools.nsf/Page/Get_The_FactsCyclones 12 http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/timeline-australias-worst-cyclones.htm 13 http://www.ema.gov.au/www/ema/schools.nsf/Page/Get_The_FactsCyclones 14 http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/sevwx/about.shtml 15 http://www.ga.gov.au/webtemp/image_cache/GA9860.jpg 16 http://www.ga.gov.au/hazards/severe-weather/severe-weather-basics/where.html 17 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/by%20Subject/1301.0-2012-Main%20Features-Australia%27s%20climate-143 18 http://www.ga.gov.au/webtemp/image_cache/GA9860.jpg 19 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/banana-inflation-trips-up-treasurer/story-e6frg6nf-1226045887284 BROUGHT TO YOU BY Allianz O ALLIANZ AUSTRALIA Search for "Allianz infographics" for more!