Recent rain likely not enough to quell deadly Australian bushfires

Jan 16 2020, 7:43 pm

Rain and thunderstorms are bombarding the inferno engulfing Australia.

You may think that this sounds like a good thing.

However, it could bring additional issues.

Portions of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria — two states that have experienced some of the worst fires — have already received a large amount of rain.

However, as Sarah Scully from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology explains:

“It’s a bit of a double-edged sword as heavy rainfall and gusty thunderstorms bring the potential for flash flooding, particularly in the burnt-out areas of New South Wales and Victoria, which are now vulnerable to landslips and trees coming down.”

As well, a tweet issued by the Bureau of Meteorology describes how the unpredictable “hit & miss nature” of thunderstorms makes it difficult to reliably forecast which locations will see the most amount of rain.

According to the tweet, some parts of eastern Australia plagued by drought and bushfires could potentially see upwards of 50-100 millimetres in the next few days.

However, others may not see much of it at all.

The Victoria State Emergency Service shared several images in a Facebook post showcasing the damage caused by Thursday’s storm, including a massive sinkhole.

While there hasn’t been enough rainfall to put out any fires, it may have caused some relief.

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) said in a tweet on Monday that if the forecasts for rain were to be accurate, it would come as a massive saving grace to the firefighters of the region.


On Thursday, they issued another tweet explaining that “although this rain won’t extinguish all fires, it will certainly go a long way towards containment.”

Emily RumballEmily Rumball

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