Zita, this post is especially for you! Not sure tho if I shouldn't have headed this 'Globalization'! We have a TV channel that has been giving New Zealand weather and temperature summaries along with the Aussie ones. Over here its NBN channel on the 'Today' show. So each morning as I watch the news I get to see what your weather is doing - and its lots colder - which of course might be a good thing right now. Sydney is in the middle of horrendous bush fires and its all going up like a tinder box. The winds have been very strong - one afternoon gusting to 100km the reports said. Somewhere between 30 and 40 homes have been burnt so far and all roads north out of the ciy as well as the railway north have been closed last night and most of today. As the winds have changed direction the fires have set off into new areas. Very frightening stuff and of course dreadful for those who have lost everything. The fire chief interviewed on the news said that these fires are making them rewrite all their books on fire behaviour. Spot fires are happening kilometers ahead of the main fire and everything - even green lawns - is burning.

Hi Mikk, what a lovely suprise to read a special message for me!

We have a son in Sydney, so we have been watching closely the reports of the terrible fires there. The close encounters, the homes burning, the loss.
After closing Sabbath a short time ago, I sat on the couch and looked around the lounge, and we talked about the loss, and tried to picture it all. It's difficult to imagine.

There are times when I catch the weather report for Australia on TV too, Mikk, and the temps are vastly different alright. I am quite happy to live here!
Nice gentle rain here tonight.
Suits my lovely garden! Our city is a riot of colour with the roses all out everywhere.

We can only pray, and we sure do that, for the fire situation in NSW.
For all those affected, our hearts go out to them.

Oh! I can just imagine that rain - I'd love to be out in it right now - and I wouldn't even need the example of the galahs to set me dancing! It's just soooo dry here.
Your roses sound lovely. Roses are funny things, aren't they. Some of them are so fussy re their growing conditions and other seem to love quite harsh conditions. I have a garden bed of solid clay next to a carport. I cut corners when building this and neglected to put on roof guttering with the result that any moisture on the roof just runs straight down over the edge. I have several roses planted there and they love it! Nothing else does! One - a Cecil Brunner - goes up 8 feet at least and is usually covered with tiny pink roses. And its not supposed to be a climber.
re the Sydney fires - I found that the RTA has put up some cams on a few of the major routes around Sydney - and there's one interesting one showing the bridge over the Hawkesbury river on the freeway north where the fires are down almost into the town.- http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au

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I edited this so the URL link will work.

[ January 19, 2003, 12:52 AM: Message edited by: Daryl Fawcett ]

What is the fire situation there now?

Daryl, I believe there are many fires still burning throughout New South Wales and Victoria. Here is a link to explain what has been happening in Canberra. (The statistics regarding people taken to Sydney might not be accurate, but that's what was reported last night.)

Fires have swept through Australia's national capital city, Canberra. 4 people have died, and 4 more are critically ill. 65 people were admitted to hospital with burns, and have been sent to hospitals in Sydney, hundreds of miles away, because local hospitals did not have the resources to cope. 400 homes have been destroyed, 250 people have been hurt. The Mount Stromlow Obsevatory has been destroyed, as has the RSPCA -the animal shelter - and public health laboratories. Fires have travelled so swiftly, people have had to leave their homes with nothing.

Please pray for the bereaved families, and those suffering in hospital. Pray also for the fire fighters, whose are still fighting severe conditions.

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Instead of the URL, I placed your post here. - Daryl.

[ January 19, 2003, 08:02 PM: Message edited by: Daryl Fawcett ]

Mikk, I believe most of the fires are out now - sadly a lot of them deliberately lit.

It has been a terrible time for the families left with nothing but what they stood up in.

I think what saddened me the most was the horses trapped and burnt. And then there would be other farm animals lost, and the owners pets. I imagine a very frightening time.

Just the other week a couple of boys on an off road bike sent sparks in the tinder dry grass at the back of the airport where our Orana Wildlife Park is situated. It came so close they were ready to shoot the animals if they had to, but fortunately there was a last minute wind change and the fire was brought under control.

I believe Adelaide, our sister City lost their Zoo to fire, and this is what they staff were thinking, and would sooner shoot them than have them burnt like that.

I believe Satan is doing as much damage as he can, knowing his time is VERY short.

It's raining! We all feel like shouting and dancing! And especially praising the Lord. I listened to the country hour on our government run radio today (the ABC) and there were so many people from right across the state phoning in to say how happy they were to get some rain. Most of these farmers have been barely hanging on for weeks past. Many have had to sell even their breeding stock which it has taken them years to build up - and in some cases generations! One from right out west said he hadn't had rain like this for 3 years! Its not enough yet to break the big drought - which we are told is the worst for 100 years - there will need to be good follow-up rain within the next few weeks. Rejoice with us!

Mikk, I am certainly rejoicing with you over the rain, come at last. Yes, I have seen the terrible conditions on TV, the poor animals, it has been very cruel for them, and hard for the farmers to watch their farms turning to dust bowls.

Rain, oh lovely rain, keep falling!

Come back and fall some more,
so we can dance and rejoice!

We clap our hands for joy.

Soon we will be halfway through the year.
June brings with it the start of winter.
So far, we have had one frost. After an unprecented hail storm that wrecked most gardens that took days to clean up, our weather has turned to an almost springlike experience that even the birds seem to have picked up on.

It makes the early morning hikes a delight, and lovely sunny days to spend in the garden.

In Oregon, USA our weather has been the typical rainy Spring weather until about 3 days ago when it turned warm! Summer seems to be here. It is expected tomorrow (Sabbath) to be up to 96 degrees! I love summers and the warm sunshine. I never complain about it. Of course we do have air conditioning in our cars and home but I still like to be outdoors in summer!

What is everyone else's weather like in your part of the world?