Not much chance of astronomy from Canberra for a while.....
We need some prevailing and sustained W to NW breezes for a day at least ...we are bloomin chocking down here... and have been for months on and off, it's very depressing. We currently have no serious fire threatening us directly but that could change anytime, as we are effectively surrounded on three sides.....
Choking, indeed. The Air Quality Index has been 20 times the "hazardous" threshold - or 40 times the "safe" threshold - in the last few hours. At some points, the particulate sensors were off the scale. I've been coughing inside the house, but maybe that's just me.
Choking, indeed. The Air Quality Index has been 20 times the "hazardous" threshold - or 40 times the "safe" threshold - in the last few hours. At some points, the particulate sensors were off the scale. I've been coughing inside the house, but maybe that's just me.
I'm in a well sealed apartment in Braddon, with the windows shut tight and the raspy choking feeling at the back of the throat has gradually gotten worse, the stuff seeps in, plus I feel like I am in a shipping container or channel crossing truck ......I also have a bit of a chest cold too which doesn't help
Canberra at the moment has the worst air quality of any city in the world...We’ve taped the doors and windows with masking tape but the smoke is still getting in via the downlighting which can’t be sealed.....
yet we are lucky compared to those like my sister who only just got power back after 24hrs in evacuation mode....and all those unfortunate people who have lost everything..
The picture shows her house as the fire approached....turning day into night ...
We’re packing the motorhome today to head off to cleaner air.
A lot of people don’t realise how dark it can actually get.
I spoke to a local CFS volunteer when we had the Pinery fires in SA and he said at one point in his truck he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face.
I'm in a well sealed apartment in Braddon, with the windows shut tight and the raspy choking feeling at the back of the throat has gradually gotten worse, the stuff seeps in, plus I feel like I am in a shipping container or channel crossing truck ......I also have a bit of a chest cold too which doesn't help
Mike
I suggest you buy a good air purifier, with a HEPA filter. I bought one in early December after coughing through night's here. They do work well. Mine clears a 35 square metre area easily.
Mine is an Ionmax Breeze model that I bought from Kogan.
It is quiet. Replacement filters are available, but I believe they are suppose to last for 12,000hrs, but maybe not that long in this soup I live in. Claims to trap particulates down to 0.3 microns.
I had family staying over Christmas and it helped alot. I even bought a small version for my car.
What has been heartening is that people are responding with donations of clothing, materials, furniture etc. We tried to donate a couple of thousand dollars worth of new and unworn clothing and were told to hang onto it as the CWA had so much donated that they had no more room at the time....
Thanks for the tip Glen, good idea and Matt, hope your sister is ok and good idea about taking off to clearer air, I don't go back until Mon 13th so I have suggested doing something like that to my wife but she is back at work today and is not overly keen, seems we will have to manage through it, the apartment is well sealed though, the difference between inside and out is large but living in a box you can't open up isn't much fun....good training for a Mars expedition, even looks similar out the windows ....
Thanks for the tip Glen, good idea and Matt, hope your sister is ok and good idea about taking off to clearer air, I don't go back until Mon 13th so I have suggested doing something like that to my wife but she is back at work today and is not overly keen, seems we will have to manage through it, the apartment is well sealed though, the difference between inside and out is large but living in a box you can't open up isn't much fun....good training for a Mars expedition, even looks similar out the windows ....
Mike
Mike,
Thanks,
She is safe at the moment and busily cooking everything from her freezer to make food parcels to distribute to people stranded.....she is a permanent resident there. Her husband is busy helping elderly neighbours prepare for the coming weather of Saturday.
The locals are hoping that visitors heed the advice to get out now as the local shops are running out of food etc.....
It is annoying to think the tourists have been panic buying in bulk today instead of leaving the area....
Power has been restored there and occasional phone links can be accessed.
Mike,
Thanks,
She is safe at the moment and busily cooking everything from her freezer to make food parcels to distribute to people stranded.....she is a permanent resident there. Her husband is busy helping elderly neighbours prepare for the coming weather of Saturday.
The locals are hoping that visitors heed the advice to get out now as the local shops are running out of food etc.....
It is annoying to think the tourists have been panic buying in bulk today instead of leaving the area....
Power has been restored there and occasional phone links can be accessed.
Wishing your sister and her family and neighbours all the best for the weekend!
I suggest you buy a good air purifier, with a HEPA filter. I bought one in early December after coughing through night's here. They do work well. Mine clears a 35 square metre area easily.
Mine is an Ionmax Breeze model that I bought from Kogan.
It is quiet. Replacement filters are available, but I believe they are suppose to last for 12,000hrs, but maybe not that long in this soup I live in. Claims to trap particulates down to 0.3 microns.
I had family staying over Christmas and it helped alot. I even bought a small version for my car.
I was just watching - unfortunately - the latest Star Wars in Hoyts Woden. The downlights were like light sabres, illuminating the smoke IN the cinema. Plus the A/C had packed in.
We sealed the house for winter, and it's working keeping the smoke out so far. My throat though is like tonsillitis - sore and raspy.
We need some prevailing and sustained W to NW breezes for a day at least ...we are bloomin chocking down here... and have been for months on and off, it's very depressing. We currently have no serious fire threatening us directly but that could change anytime, as we are effectively surrounded on three sides.....
Mike
well Mike its been that way for us since September for us in newy - cloud and smoke, id image anything if i could but i cant, no sky is clear. no rain either
You could have looked at the Sun directly yesterday through the smoke "filter" - it was that thick.
Been feeding the kangaroos and birds around us. The roos are swarming out to where we are due to the green grass and water of the golf course.
Taking the week off work until the rains come - or don't most likely (I've noticed the probability of rain fall over 24 hours). Want to be close to home in case we are given the evacuate order.
It's pretty bad now this afternoon, can feel it in my nose eyes and throat even inside our apartment Running the alarming CFN satellite footage stream back and forth shows how the smoke has been circulating, no way of predicting how it will go..? The ACT Legislative assembly has closed, shut its entrance doors today (never happens) because the entrance foyers are unfit to work in, access is only for staff/pass holders, who are then able to access the cleaner areas of the building....
Jesus, Mike, that's rough. We've had fires and smoke up this way, but clearly not to the extent that you guys have. I don't watch the news and didn't really have a grasp of how bad it was down there.
Hope you and yours remain healthy and you're back imaging again soon.
...we are bloomin chocking down here... and have been for months on and off, it's very depressing. We currently have no serious fire threatening us directly but that could change anytime, as we are effectively surrounded on three sides.....
......I also have a bit of a chest cold too which doesn't help 
and is not overly keen, seems we will have to manage through it, the apartment is well sealed though, the difference between inside and out is large but living in a box you can't open up isn't much fun....good training for a Mars expedition, even looks similar out the windows 
....
