Fire ban declared for Darwin, Palmerston, Coomalie and Litchfield due to ‘high fire danger'
The declaration means during the 24 hours from 12am Tuesday, August 19, to 12am August 20, no person shall light a fire or cause a fire to be lit in the open in the portion of the Northern Territory within the fire ban areas.
Bushfires NT acting executive director Jacqui Forrest said a combination of risk factors led to the declaration.
'With high fire danger forecast for Darwin, Palmerston, Coomalie and Litchfield tomorrow, conditions will be challenging and fire may be difficult to control,' Ms Forrest said.
'Low humidity, high temperatures, sustained south-easterly winds and dry fuel loads mean fire can spread quickly and unpredictably.
'We urge everyone to be prepared and take appropriate fire safety precautions, follow their Bushfire Survival Plan, and report any unattended fires to triple-0 (000) immediately.'
NT Fire and Rescue Services (NTFRS) chief fire officer Stephen Sewell urged residents to be careful during the fire ban period.
'This is a reminder that during a fire ban any deliberate or accidental lighting of fire has the potential to develop into an extended duration fire with significant resource requirements for suppression and containment,' he said.
'Bushfire safety is everyone's responsibility.
'You can play your part by having a current bushfire survival plan and going through it with all members of your household, so they know what to do and where to go in the event of an emergency.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
British expat reveals shock at Sydney's rainy weather
Each year thousands of waterlogged Brits relocate to Australia in hopes of boosting their vitamin D intake and tanning on sun-drenched beaches. However, the grass is not always greener as hapless UK expat Josh McCallion has discovered. Josh, who now lives in Sydney, has briefed his followers on the unbelievable amount of rainfall he has experienced in his new city. Since 2022, much of Australia has experienced record-breaking rainfall, leaving many newcomers taken aback. 'No one tells you this before moving to Australia,' Josh said in a video posted to Instagram. 'I am from the UK, known for terrible weather, and I have never experienced rain like I have since moving to Sydney. Every single time it rains, it's a downpour. The raindrops hit you and it's almost like you're being shot, honestly. 'I'm going to the gym and it's 400m away. It's too wet for me to want to take my bike and I can't walk in this, it's ridiculous. So I'm catching the bus.' Josh's remarks sparked a debate among fellow expats and locals over which is worse: the heavy Australian rain or the more constant light drizzle typical of the UK. 'As an Aussie living in the UK, this is one of the things I miss. REAL rain. Not the misty rubbish you get in the UK where it feels like you're constantly living under a damp tea towel,' one person wrote. 'When I lived in London I was like, what is wrong with your rain? I want to be soaking wet and extremely inconvenienced, not damp and mildly annoyed,' another said. It seems like Josh is in for a rainy few days in the Harbour City with thunderstorms forecast until Friday. There could also be flooding in parts of NSW and Queensland, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned. Senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said rain is increasing across inland parts of NSW and Queensland and would become more widespread over the coming days as weather systems combine. 'That is two to three days of rainfall in areas that are already wet and saturated,' he said. BOM forecasts up to 100mm of rain in large parts of NSW, and more rainfall to hit coastal areas. 'This is going to fall on already saturated soils, particularly in parts of NSW,' Mr Narramore said. 'We can see widespread falls across much of northern NSW in that 50 to 100mm range, with isolated falls in excess of 150mm which is why we're concerned. 'These numbers are falling on already saturated soils, catchments, dams and rivers. 'That's led to flood watches being issued across this area for minor to moderate flooding, particularly for some of our coastal and eastern NSW rivers.' He said authorities were focused on residents and communities located in inland areas, the northwest slopes, flat plains, Peel River, Gwydir River and Namoi River. 'That does include places like Gunnedah that saw major flooding only just a few weeks ago,' he said. 'The Namoi is already still experiencing moderate flooding with minor flooding continuing through the Barwon River as well.'
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- News.com.au
Melbourne weather: City freezes through coldest morning of the year, but there's warmth on the horizon
Melbourne has shivered through its coldest morning of the year, with the mercury dipping to a bitter low of just 1.6C. City residents woke to a biting chill as temperatures hovered below 2C at 7.30am. Meanwhile, temperatures at Melbourne Airport dropped to an even icier zero degrees, while over in Moorabbin and Avalon airports the mercury dropped to a low of -1C. Bureau of Meteorology's Belinda House said minimum temperatures for Melbourne had been 'a little below the long-term average' this month. 'The last time it was this cold was back in August last year, when it dropped to 1.1 degree on August 1,' she said. But in good news for city-dwellers, Ms House explained a frosty morning was a strong indicator of a beautiful day ahead. 'Cold frosty mornings occur when skies are clear, and winds are light,' she said. 'This is most common under strong high-pressure systems. The same weather pattern can therefore bring dry, settled weather with plenty of sunshine, so it's not unusual for the coldest mornings in winter to be followed by more comfortable daytime temperatures and sunny afternoons.' In Melbourne's typical two-season-a-day fashion, daytime temperatures in the city have remained above average despite the chillier mornings. 'Another cold morning is expected across Victoria on Wednesday, followed by another sunny and mild day,' Ms House said. The BOM is predicting sunshine and a top of 20C on Thursday, with temperatures set to outshine highs in Perth, Hobart, Sydney and Canberra. 'A weak cold front may bring some light shower activity to parts of the state on Friday or Saturday, although the chance of showers looks more likely into early next week with the passage of the next, stronger, cold front.' Looking ahead, weather experts say Melbourne is in for a wetter than average spring, particularly across the more northern parts of the state.
News.com.au
14 hours ago
- News.com.au
Fire ban declared for Darwin, Palmerston, Coomalie and Litchfield due to ‘high fire danger'
A 24-hour fire ban was declared for Darwin, Palmerston, Coomalie and Litchfield on Tuesday. The declaration means during the 24 hours from 12am Tuesday, August 19, to 12am August 20, no person shall light a fire or cause a fire to be lit in the open in the portion of the Northern Territory within the fire ban areas. Bushfires NT acting executive director Jacqui Forrest said a combination of risk factors led to the declaration. 'With high fire danger forecast for Darwin, Palmerston, Coomalie and Litchfield tomorrow, conditions will be challenging and fire may be difficult to control,' Ms Forrest said. 'Low humidity, high temperatures, sustained south-easterly winds and dry fuel loads mean fire can spread quickly and unpredictably. 'We urge everyone to be prepared and take appropriate fire safety precautions, follow their Bushfire Survival Plan, and report any unattended fires to triple-0 (000) immediately.' NT Fire and Rescue Services (NTFRS) chief fire officer Stephen Sewell urged residents to be careful during the fire ban period. 'This is a reminder that during a fire ban any deliberate or accidental lighting of fire has the potential to develop into an extended duration fire with significant resource requirements for suppression and containment,' he said. 'Bushfire safety is everyone's responsibility. 'You can play your part by having a current bushfire survival plan and going through it with all members of your household, so they know what to do and where to go in the event of an emergency.'
