Weather News

Fire danger rising in Western Australia

Ben Domensino, Tuesday November 15, 2016 - 13:15 AEDT

Catastrophic fire danger is forecast for parts of Western Australia today as temperatures near a near two-year high in some areas.

An extremely hot air mass will be blown around Western Australia today and tomorrow by strong northerly winds, providing ideal conditions for out of control bushfires.

The dangerous weather is being caused by an increased pressure gradient in the atmosphere between a trough near the west coast and a firm ridge of high pressure over the Interior. These features are pushing against each other forcing air near the surface to move rapidly southwards in an effort to balance things out.

Temperatures could reach 40 degrees over inland parts of the South West Land Division and along some stretches of the south coast today. Albany is forecast to reach 40 degrees for the first time in almost two years, while Katanning is expected to have its hottest November day in 13 years, with a top of 39 degrees.

Catastrophic fire danger has been forecast in the Central Wheat Belt, Gascoyne Inland, Inland Central West - South, Stirling Inland, Upper Great Southern, Roe and Lakes today. Extreme fire danger is expected in the Esperance Shire and Inland Central West - North, while severe fire danger is anticipated for the Ravensthorpe Shire, Goldfields, Eucla, Lower West Inland, Stirling Coast and Beaufort.

The trough will move further inland on Wednesday, allowing cooler air to spread over the western half of the state, while intense heat becomes focused on the Interior and southeast. Eucla is forecast to have its hottest day since January at 40 degrees, while the temperature in Albany will be about 20 degrees cooler than it was on Tuesday.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop on Wednesday as well, which will exacerbate the fire threat by causing lightning in hot, dry and windy areas.

Cooler air will return to the southern half of the state on Thursday.

Visit the Emergency WA website at https://www.emergency.wa.gov.au/ for the latest warnings and emergency information.

- Weatherzone

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