Sky haze over NSW

[Satchmo]

I went gliding on the weekend at Lake Keepit Dam north of Tamworth. Thought I'd post pictures I took showing the extent of the sky transparency problem we are all experiencing.

Even in this region of NSW not affected by bushfires, you can see how poor the visibilty is : and how clear the sky is above the inversion layer ( in this case I was at thermal tops/inversion at 6000ft at 6 30 pm in the evening) . The sky would be most spectacular above that !

Also attached a photo of Keepit Dam which is at 9% capacity..the whole surrounds are tinder dry.

Mark

[erick]

Melbourne is smoked out, again. Visibility at ground level - perhaps 1 km. BOM have just revised maximum temperature down several degrees!

[ving]

that haze is ashocker mark!!! no wonder the transparance is shock atm.

wonder when we are gunna start on desalination or recycling water? we surely need it.

[leon]

You should see Ballarat today, cant even see the city when your in it.
Actually worse today than last week, which was bad enough.

Leon

[iceman]

Excellent photos Mark! Certainly does show the shocking transparency.

[ballaratdragons]

I can't see the back of my property! And the school across the road has vanished!!

And there isn't even a breath of wind to move the smoke. It is stinging my eyes when I go outside it is that bad. But I suppose because we are in a valley that it may have settled into the valley itself, just like the fog does.

Must be horrendous in the vicinity of the fires.

[middy]

Great pics! My wife used to work as an engineer for DPWS doing safety inspections of the dams in northern NSW. Keepit dam was 'one of hers'. I'll save a copy of the pic and be sure to show her.

When I was there for New Year 2000 the dam level was about 70 % (or was it 50 %, I forget). Anyway it has reminded me of a funny story ..... We spent New Year there for the new millenium and there was lots of talk in the media about the Y2K bug and the power grid would shut down and the sky would fall and all that stuff. Anyway, when we woke up on the morning of 1/1/2000 there was no power to the shack we were staying in. We weren't sure for a while if the predictions had come true. Of course it turned out to be a localised problem but it was funny at the time.

[ballaratdragons]

Just took this pic out the back of my house.

Wierd how the camera sees through the smoke!!! I can't see half of what is visible here. It's actually a lot worse than it looks in this pic!

[ving]

wow, thats a real pea-souper ken!

[erick]

Looks much the same out of my office window at Bundoora. :doh:

[ballaratdragons]

I think all the animals are suffering with breathing difficulties too! All the Cows, Sheep and Horses have been laying down all day and that's unusual.

Can't be good for anyone!!!

[jase]

Armageddon :scared2:

[Dennis]

My wife flew to Canberra from Brisbane for the day, yesterday, and said she was shocked to see Brisbane covered by a layer of brown grunge, both outbound and on the return journey. Hmm, it seems our energy hungry, pollute at will, don’t care, modern lifestyle is catching up with us?

Cheers

Dennis

[ballaratdragons]

Here is the most recent pic on the MODIS site. It was taken yesterday.

It shows the Victorian Fire smoke pouring into NSW. Today it is blowing Westerly across Victoria.
I am waiting for them to load todays Pic.

Here is yesterdays:

[iceman]

Wow, spectacular.

[Rodstar]

I have find memories of Lake Keepit, too. I recall going on a week-long sport and recreation camp there when I was about 11 years of age (26 years ago). I recall the lake being full of dead trees, and the water level being very low.

Rock climbing, canoeing, orienteering, and the odd bit of kissing behind the toilet facility....ahhhhh....the good old days.

[h0ughy]

hope you didnt camp with your undies on your head then;)

As long as these fires are put out by some rain before January 17 I will be happy;) but knowing our luck we are liable to get raging fires in the hunter. It has been a very early and loaded dry season, and I don't think there is a break to come. On Monday night we had around 1000 strikes in the hunter, and not much rain so the likely hood of more fires was increased. Not sure whether it occurred or not either

Modis is an excellent tool to see the skies, albeit a day late, but hey, beggars cannot be choosers:whistle:

Mark you took excellent images while up there, could you smell it?

[spacezebra]

Excellent images - and interesting web site.

Cheers Petra