rain coming

[Max Hedges]

It's exciting rain coming for the weekend. So far in Central Australia Worburton has had over 44mm and Giles has had over 50mm, the wettest July in many years. during saturday the rain is expected to move over South Australia, western Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Some areas of New South Wales they are predicting up to 40mm and this would be the best chance of good rain we've had for a long time. After the rain on wednesay in Central australia Carnegie 's temperature reached 7 degrees the coldest day for 16 years. So we are expecting a cold change after the rain.

Max

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Max,

Hope you get the rain that you need. Over here in Southeast England, we have had a hosepipe ban since July last year, with no significant rain through the winter. There has been heavy rain in different parts of the country with flash floods, but not here! Just hope we get a dry week next week, as it is the War & Peace show and we do love the dust that goes with it.

Hey, changing the subject, I heard a brief bit on our radio, about a secret tunnel found on the coast near the Great Ocean road (?) in Victoria, any more on this? They said it appeared to be built since the war.

Richard

[Ponysoldier]

We have had near as I can figure 4mm since january
which is poor even for the desert. Our rainy season
is winter but had nothing up to january.This has
been the tenth year of drought,and our summers
have becoming much hotter and longer.
Glad to see someone getting rain.
Patrick

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hey Max
You were right. Started raining yesterday and still going well. Nice to hear the water finally going into the tanks. Of course now I'm pumping from the house tanks to our main feed tank.
Bob

[Max Hedges]

Best rain this year so far, sure helped the crops along, put some water into the house tank, all up we had about 29mm.

Richard I thought England would never run out of water. We haven't heard about any tunnel unless the Victorians are keeping it a secret from us.

Heard on the news there are record temperatures in America at the moment, perhaps they sshould come here for a while.

Max

[Ponysoldier]

Here its not so much the tempure,which is up 4-5 degree
but the length of our summer,which has gotten very long
last year we have had 100 degree days right thru the first
week of november
Patrick

[Pedr]

Hey Richard,

We have been on "hosepipe" bans ( Water restrictions ) here in Australia for a couple of years.

The only place I know of in Australia, where the water runs freely all year around is Corowa - where the sprinklers run 24hours - 7 days a week at the Ball Caravan Park.

Pedr

""COROWA - WHERE IT ISN'T JUST THE TRUCKS THAT ARE GREEN"

Pic courtesy of Hilton Lenard www.107fdbty.com

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Max Hedges
Best rain this year so far, sure helped the crops along, put some water into the house tank, all up we had about 29mm.

Richard I thought England would never run out of water.

Max,

We eventually had rain yesterday in this area, seemed to escape it up until now, apparantly around 63mm fell during the day and 31mm of that fell in one hour, which I was witness to. This deluge fell while I was driving to collect my Bedford for a show. Almost like monsoon conditions at the time.

Don't think our farmers would have appreciated at this time though as it is in the middle of harvest.

Richard

[Max Hedges]

Richard, that's a lot of rain it must have you looking for your wellingtons. It is unusually warm here and starting to look very dry again.



Max

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all

Well it's now official, South Australia has recorded it's lowest winter rainfall since records began. Broad acre farmers are starting to put their stock onto the failed crops and even if it rained now it's too late for a lot of them. We are going to experience a scarcity of stock feed next season.

Bob

Rain rain come again ....

Tofino to run out of water in 10 days, mayor says
Updated Thu. Aug. 31 2006 4:28 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

The mayor of Tofino, B.C. warned Thursday that the town has only 10 days of water left if it doesn't rain -- and only a 20 per cent chance of rain is forecast.

Mayor John Fraser urged residents to make conservation efforts or they may have to start stocking up on bottled water. The town's reservoir is running dry because there hasn't been any rain since July.

Many businesses are closing down after the drought-struck town issued an order cutting off water supplies to businesses.

Some resorts in the Vancouver Island tourist destination will stay open for the long Labour Day weekend despite the closure order, which goes into effect Friday. A few hotels and business owners are hooking up to well water, while others have made arrangements to truck in water supplies.

The posh Wickaninnish Inn has ordered temporary tanks and has water trucks on the way, but won't commit to opening until a health inspector approves the provision.

The luxurious Long Beach Resort in Tofino has secured water tanks which are due to arrive later Thursday, to be followed by a large water tanker truck.

Resort general manager Carly Hall said the effort will allow them to run a "fairly normal business" through one of the busiest long-weekends of the year.

"Obviously we will have water conservation efforts in effect for our guests and ensure that they'll be following those fairly strictly. But we're hoping to stay open and service as many people as we can," Hall told CTV Newsnet Thursday.

"We're going to be running test runs of the (water) system this afternoon, but as far as I understand we will have running water in the rooms," she said.

"Showering will be no problem but we won't be able to run such things as our hot tubs -- we will be shutting those down."

The District of Tofino notified businesses Tuesday afternoon they would have to shut their doors to conserve water for residential use.

Hall said the hotel spent most of the Tuesday cancelling weekend bookings, but since then has picked up some of those booking again and are now "looking OK for the weekend."

Other resorts, however, haven't been as fortunate. With profits about to evaporate, many have started layoffs and announced they will close this weekend.

The Pacific Sands, for example, said Wednesday it will be laying 25 people off and operate with minimal staff over the weekend.

The B.C. government, meanwhile, is offering to help relocate some of the hundreds of tourists who planned to spend the weekend enjoying Tofino's spectacular scenery around the Pacific Rim National Park and world-renowned resorts.

One town councillor told The Canadian Press the community needs at least two days of rain before businesses could resume operating -- but weekend weather forecasts call for sun, warm temperatures and no rain.

Residents

For the 1,700 residents who live in Tofino, the district says taps will remain on.

However, "we're asking them to severely cut back their usage," the mayor said.

In the meantime, Tofino has switched to a back-up water source from Ginnard Creek on nearby Meares Island, for residents' use only -- health officials are telling people to boil their water for at least two minutes before using.

"We'll be testing it in, I believe, in four spots each day," said the mayor, "and if it comes back in good enough shape then they'll (call) the boil-water warning off."

The municipality implemented Level 4 water regulations last week, meaning residents were prohibited from washing vehicles or watering lawns. It is now at Level 5.

The solicitor general's Provincial Emergency Plan has offered to set up an emergency command centre and send more water trucks and fire fighters.

"They currently have a hydrologist on site helping the community plan their short and long-term needs. They are also offering tanker trucks," Sarah Harrison, Community Services Ministry spokesperson, told The Canadian Press.

[Ponysoldier]

Our problem here is that we have had a very wet month.
In two weeks of the month of august we have 7 inches
of rain and they say more is coming. Now this area is
a desert,we have been in the middle of a 10 year drought.
Most of this rain ended up in mexico as run off...
Its a fragile thing this place called home.
Patrick

[Max Hedges]

meanwhile back at Yass we've had a very dry August which is very unusual, I think it's the driest and hottest daytime temperatures for 11 years, and the nights were below average with servere frosts. They are prediciting a change Tuesday so hopefully we get a good soaking.

Max

[Howard]

Finally a decent rainfall! Ganmain Tony's rain gauge was over-flowing this morning. I have about 6 foot of water in my well this morning indicating about 50mm rainfall. I can't remember the last time we had a fall of rain like that!
Now, at last, we can start on the Garden!
Did it continue on your way Max??

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Howard
Finally a decent rainfall!

Did it continue on your way Max??

It must have passed Max, we got it up here, the ground is now so saturated it is running off. And don't ask about the winds, gale force at around 70 mph at its height today, I thought my workshop was taking off, and it is a very large steel framed building. It sounded like a jet engine being run in there!

Great news to hear about the rain ...

... but Mama Nature was a little TOO enthusiastic it sounds. I hope she send "just right" for all of you!



Karmen

[Howard]

We're hoping the place is a little more green & clean for your visit!
'Coz up until yesterday it has been red & dusty. The rain has settled the dust, but we need more rain to make things green...

Originally posted by Howard
We're hoping the place is a little more green & clean for your visit!
'Coz up until yesterday it has been red & dusty. The rain has settled the dust, but we need more rain to make things green...

I'll talk to Mama Nature and put in an order for just enough of the wet stuff and no extremes of any weather for a green and clean look Hows that?

Karmen

[Howard]

I did not know that you were that well connected!

[Max Hedges]

Howard the rain didn't come our way it sounds as if it went up to Richards place though, it has just been hot hot hot , today should be a little cooler giving us a break from the heat.
Max

Originally posted by Howard
I did not know that you were that well connected!

Now you know!

Originally posted by Max Hedges
Howard the rain didn't come our way it sounds as if it went up to Richards place though, it has just been hot hot hot , today should be a little cooler giving us a break from the heat.
Max

I think the rain went to England!

Karmen

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

28.5mm over three days here in the Hills, combined with two days of gale force winds that I reckon shifted the house six feet South.
Bob

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
28.5mm over three days here in the Hills, combined with two days of gale force winds that I reckon shifted the house six feet South.
Bob

Hope there's still room for Yappy 'n Jiff...

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
28.5mm over three days here in the Hills, combined with two days of gale force winds that I reckon shifted the house six feet South.
Bob

Are you serious, or just making a ha-ha, Bob?

Karmen

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
28.5mm over three days here in the Hills, combined with two days of gale force winds that I reckon shifted the house six feet South.
Bob

We were just concerned you wouldn't be able to find the house after picking us up.

Originally posted by Bob Moseley

[Max Hedges]

We have just had the best rain we have had for along time, we also had a pine tree hit by lightning that started a small fire about 15mins before the rain came, we had 133 points
Max

[Howard]

We missed out altogether. We had a good storm about a fortnight ago, got anout half an inch in 15 minutes.
This year's total rainfall to date has been just on 2 inches. Which sounds crook unless you consider that is a third of last year's total!
It will rain eventually. It always rains after a drought.
HH