Posted By jom
Situation is not good.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/bushfires/

John.

Posted By jom
Anyone overseas who needs info on this disaster should refer to ABC Melbourne news:

http://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/

There is a live webstream of radio 774, altho I can't find it, but it is there.

Anyone trying to call emergency services will probably have a hard time getting through.

John.

Posted By Edward Shyer
hi jom

thank you for the four very informative updates over the last 3.5 hours.

Regards
Ted

Posted By jom
It's just after midnight.

We have 12 major firefronts still burning.

Weather has cooled.

Fire fighters must be stuffed.

John.

Posted By peter gotch 1
H John

Greetings from Glasgow which is not exhibiting the worst of the winter weather though the last time I was out with our border collie we had about 10mm of lying snow.

I aimed today for a specific walk which is 2.5km north of the sign which says that the [trunk] road may not be treated "beyond this point". Drove over some ice on this road and turned right towards the car park, aware that forecast had snow coming into the West of Scotland from 3pm.

Took one look at the state of the icy road to the car park and thought "about turn". Back to the David Marshall Centre, where confident that roads would be kept reasonably clear of snow and ice.

Sufficiently inland that the relatively ligh snow didn't actually kick in till I was well down the A81 towards Glasgow after 4pm. Didn't stop some of the drivers overtaking without due consideration of the conditions!

Almost certainly worse down South, where the need for speed and the lack of winter driving competences both come into play.

However, the tragedy that has been unfolding in Victoria was headlining the news on BBC Radio - our media all too often thinks that what the celebs are doing is more important than e.g. Gaza - good to see a sense of perspective today.....and my feelings are with you and your fellow Australians - as what happens in Victoria obviously has a much wider national impact.

Tis 9 o'clock at night - the road outside is white with limited indication of anyone trying to drive up the hill. Our communal, private gardens [Is this a contradiction!] gardens are looking like a Christmas card scene AND the dog wants out again.

So, greetings from White West End of Glasgow, very rarely white - one of the effects of being in receipt of the Gulf Stream.

Finally, for those in the South of England - once again ill prepared for a little snow?!?! Do you realise that there is a commercial vineyard just south of Loch Ness, i.e. some considerable distance north of Fort William?

regards, Peter