Heat breaks record

LAST week’s extreme heat set a new weather record.

Wonthaggi received four consecutive days of temperatures above 37°C – the first time ever.
As the region succumbed to a gruelling weak, the Bureau of Meteorology reported the mercury at Wonthaggi peaked at 42.6°C on Friday, 38.2°C on Thursday, 37.7°C on Wednesday and 42.2°C on Tuesday.
The last time Wonthaggi recorded three consecutive days over 40°C was January 28 to 30, 2009, said the bureau’s Jonathan Pollock, acting senior climate liaison officer.
“Preliminary data indicates the recent heatwave hasn’t delivered any new daily temperature records for the Leongatha /South Gippsland area,” he said.
“However, average maximum temperatures from Tuesday, January 14 to Friday, January 17 were about 15°C hotter than normal for January.
“Average minimum temperatures from Wednesday, January 15 to Friday, January 17 were about  10°C  hotter than normal for January, give or take a couple of degrees depending how close you were to the coast.”
At Pound Creek, the maximum temperature for Friday was 40.9°C, 35.5°C for Thursday, 36.5°C for Wednesday and 40.6°C for Tuesday.
The heat resulted in Leongatha’s Bair Street melting, electricity being cut to South Gippsland Shire Council’s Leongatha offices for two hours on Thursday, and early closing times at Leongatha and Wonthaggi libraries.
Bair Street began falling apart on Friday after several days of very high temperatures.
And it’s certainly not the first time this has happened.
Wayne Sanders of Leading Edge Computers complained to VicRoads after customers started tramping bitumen into his shop on their shoes.
He said the bitumen was “bleeding” and giving off fumes.
Mr Sanders was disappointed with VicRoads’ response of erecting 40km/h signs.
Putting down sand would have been a better solution, he felt, although he quickly added that caused dust problems last time.
“What Bair Street really needs is a re-seal which I don’t think has been done for two years or more,” he said.
“They also need to do it properly; it was a botched seal last time.”
Mr Sanders reported that when a woman crossed the road wearing thongs, one of her shoes became stuck in the bitumen.
She kept walking and the thong was run over by a truck.
The road had been getting progressively softer since Tuesday, he said.
Bair Street is one of Leongatha’s busiest roads, not only being in Leongatha’s CBD but also carrying cattle trucks to Koonwarra and holiday-makers and freight trucks to Meeniyan, Foster and beyond.
Leongatha Library’s air conditioning system experienced issues last Thursday, causing discomfort for those trying to find solace from the heat.
West Gippsland Regional Library Corporation chief executive officer John Murrell said the problem was caused by an issue with power supply into the building.
“We had a quick response from a local electrician and we found out it was something to do with the supply into the building,” he said.
SP AusNet technical staff were dispatched to rectify the issue.
Mr Murrell said library staff were conscious of making conditions comfortable for customers and staff.
“They were monitoring the inside temperature, and made sure water was available should anyone need it,” he said.
“Most air conditioners around West Gippsland have struggled this week.”
The corporation’s heat policy states if it gets to 36 degrees inside, then it must close.
“The library in Leongatha was only at 28 degrees, so we were well away from that,” Mr Murrell said.
An old air-conditioner at the new Wonthaggi Library was unable to cope with the constant high temperature, forcing the library to shut after 4pm on Friday.
Council and the West Gippsland Library Corporation will work with the landlord to review the cooling system.
► How you kept cool, page 19.

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Posted by Jacob De Kunder on Jan 21 2014. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry