Saturday, April 9, 2011

Warning signs!

12 midday
4PM
Today's map of burn offs in Victoria
The orange line in the graph indicates an increase in fine particulates (PM2.5) most likely due to wood smoke. Another graph on the EPA website shows increasing temperature and wind speed of only 1kph, so smoke will just hang around and not dissipate. There are no planned forestry burnoffs shown on the web maps but somewhere nearby there's a fire burning.

4PM update. Much worse. Wind speed in St Helens is still low. Nothing appearing on forestry websites.

However... the source could be further away. I can even see one of the burn offs in the nearby Dandenong Ranges, and smell the smoke which has been in the air since last Wednesday. This has happened before in St Helens, in March 2010, see news story.

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