drought

Kids dress their best for drought-affected farmers

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ABC, By: Lucy Barbour, 12/17/2013

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An early childhood school in Canberra is giving drought-affected farmers a big Christmas present this year. It raised more than $500 to buy hay bales for graziers in far west New South Wales and in Queensland. About 350 children from the Southern Cross Early Childhood School have dressed up as farmers for the day and brought along a gold coin donation as part of the 'buy a bale' initiative.

 

The school's principal, Jennie Bailey, says the idea came about after a colleague showed her photographs of bare paddocks in Roma, in Queensland. "They were just absolutely barren, with no feed for the cattle or the horses," she said. "And then we saw this 'buy a bale' day come up and we thought, 'What a fantastic way to support our Aussie, Australian fellows'." Ms Bailey says the response from the school community has been "overwhelming".

 

Western Qld graziers celebrate storm rain

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By: Chrissy Arthur, 11/29/2013

More storm activity in Queensland's drought-stricken west is forecast, as some graziers celebrate the first decent rain they have seen in more than a year. Patchy storm rain has fallen from the Gulf of Carpentaria down to south-west Queensland, including in towns like Eulo and Cunnamulla. There was also 61 millimetres of rain reported at Mount Pleasant near Hughenden, and 67mm on a property north of Boulia.

 

Murray Tramby-White manages a place north-west of Winton and says 102mm there will get the property out of trouble. "We haven't had substantial rain here for about 18 months," he said. While across the board, the rain has not been drought-breaking, graziers say it has lifted spirits.

 

For more on this story visit www.weatherzone.com.au

Western Wildfire Update: Yosemite National Park Fire Rages Out of Control

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Wunderground.com - 8/22/13, Gosia Wozniacki

Western Wildfires

FRESNO, Calif. -- A wildfire outside Yosemite National Park - one of more than 50 major brush blazes burning across the western U.S. - raged beyond the control of firefighters, but several days after it started it there has been minimal property damage and only voluntary evacuations.

The blaze in Stanislaus National Forest west of Yosemite grew to more than 25 square miles and was only 5 percent contained Wednesday, threatening some 2,500 homes, hotels and camp buildings.

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Idaho Wildfire: More Crews Called to Fight Under Cloud Cover

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Weather.com, 8/19/13, Associated Press

Western Wildfires

BOISE, Idaho -- Fire managers expressed optimism Sunday in their battle against a wildfire that has scorched nearly 160 square miles and forced the evacuation of 2,300 homes near the central Idaho resort communities of Ketchum and Sun Valley.

Officials said the blaze had grown by only about 12 square miles because of cloud cover the day before and the arrival of additional crews and equipment. Many firefighters worked Sunday to create protective firebreaks, or gaps in vegetation.

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Nearly 300 New Mexico Towns Face Water Crisis

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Wundrground-Susan Montoya Bryan Aug 8,2013

New Mexico drought

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — State officials have been fielding a steady stream of phone calls and emails from the managers of community drinking water systems around the state as drought refuses to give up its grip on New Mexico.

The managers are looking to the state for help as they work to avert a crisis. Water levels are still dropping, aging infrastructure is being pushed to its limits and federal funding is growing more scarce.

In all, the state has identified nearly 300 drinking water systems that are considered vulnerable. Many of them depend on a single source of water and have no backup plan if conditions worsen.

Read More: http://www.wunderground.com/news/nearly-300-new-mexico-towns-face-water-crisis-20130808

6,000 still evacuated as California wildfire surges to 35 square miles.

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Foxnews.com, 7/18/13, Associated Press

Southern California W_Cham(2).jpg

July 17, 2013: A female inmate hand crew from Puerta La Cruz and firefighters in an engine company with them set fire to reinforce the line to stave off part of the Mountain Fire burning up a hill toward them off Apple Canyon Road near Lake Hemet, Calif. Officials say the wildfire in the mountains west of Palm Springs has destroyed three houses and three mobile homes and is threatening dozens more residences. (AP Photo/The Desert Sun, Crystal Chatham)

DYLLWILD, Calif. –  A Southern California wildfire that forced 6,000 people to flee was more than 35 square miles in size Thursday as fingers of flame swept along mountain ridges above Palm Springs, authorities said.

The fire, which has destroyed at least six houses and mobile homes, gained thousands of acres and was only 15 percent contained Thursday morning, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Norma Bailey said.

First decade of 21st century: unprecedented high-impact climate extremes since measurements began!

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The Watchers, 7/6/13, Adorali

Accoding to a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report The Global Climate 2001-2010, A Decade of Extremes Earth experienced unprecedented high-impact climate extremes in 2001 - 2010 since the measurements began in 1850. In that period more national temperature records were broken than in any other decade.

The first decade of the 21st century was the warmest for both hemispheres and for both land and ocean temperatures. High temperatures were accompanied by a rapid decline in Arctic sea ice, and an accelerating loss of the ice sheets of the world's glaciers

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US Heat Wave and Fires (videos)

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MsNewsfromworld, 7/2/13, BBC News

At least one person has reportedly died and dozens more have been treated for exhaustion and dehydration as a heat wave continues to cause problems across western America.

Air-conditioned "cooling centres" have been set up in California, Nevada and Arizona, as officials warn the high temperatures could be life-threatening.

 

 

Historical Heat Wave Expanding Across the West

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Accuweather.com - 6/30/13

New June record highs were already set or equaled in Salt Lake City, Utah, Needles, Calif., and Kingman, Ariz., on Friday. More records were set on Saturday in Phoenix, Ariz., Elko, Nev., and Palm Springs, Calif.

An atmospheric blast furnace is at full throttle this weekend over the interior West with heat reaching dangerous levels, challenging records and elevating the wildfire threat.

While many folks over the interior West are accustomed to and expect hot weather during the summer, this pattern is taking the heat to the extreme. In some cities, record highs for any date throughout the year could be equaled or breached.

Link: Accuweather.com

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