HOPING FOR RAIN
WITH a pitiful average rainfall of less than 5mm across the Far North in the first week of October, the fire-friendly conditions plaguing the Tablelands will persist in the week ahead.
This September was the driest in four years. A total 7.6mm of rain fell in Cairns for the entire month.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the region’s monthly average rainfall for September is 33.2mm.
Atherton Live Weather meteorologist Chris Gueho said, while nights remained quite cool across the region, the days had started to heat up.
“It’s been basically perfect conditions for fires to happen, more so to become out of control, because it’s been very dry and windy,” he said.
“Dry air and wind is a combination that can lead to heavy fires and there’s a lot of dry ground and scrub that hasn’t had any rain since early in the year.”
“It’s basically a tinderbox; doesn’t take a lot to ignite it.”
Mr Gueho said the deluge that bucketed down across the region in March had fostered a layer of thick vegetation undergrowth, which had dried out during the cool winter conditions.
This layer of tinder produced perfect conditions for bushfires, such as the one burning at Watsonville, to spread faster than they otherwise might have.
Treacherous and inaccessible land on the Tablelands had made the job of fighting scrub fires a complicated and arduous task for fire fighters, Mr Gueho said.
“In an area where they can’t suppress it, it burns super-hot and as it moves toward populated areas, you have this massive bushfire that hasn’t been suppressed in any ways,” he said.
“It could be weeks to a month away before any storm activity brings in enough moisture to create a huge difference.”
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Lauren Pattie said, while rain would be welcome, windy conditions brought on by heavy storms could cause more problems for firies.
“It’s similar patterns every day for at least this week and while rain would be nice, we’re unlikely to see any,” she said.
“The downside of any heavy storm activity coming in is, while you would get increased rain, the wind and lightning that comes with it wouldn’t be good for fires.”
“The Watsonville fire is close enough to the coast that moisture is coming in from the east, which is slightly positive.”
“All we can do is hope the firies are keeping up-to-date and working hard,” she said.