AUTUMN'S FLYING IN

We've had a couple of days of rain with falling temperatures, and March has come, warning of Autumn's arrival shortly. The garden still looks summery and the birds are still active and chirping away...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme

and also part of the Seasons meme

HEAT!

Tomorrow we are expecting a maximum temperature of 44˚C in Melbourne. That is hot, but in the Northern Victorian towns of Mildura, Ouyen, Echuca, up to 48˚C... Some are predicting a record breaking 49˚C!

A photoshop collage reminding ourselves to keep cool and hydrated and "Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide", which is an expanded Australian sun safety campaign from the Cancer Council designed to prevent skin cancer. It encourages 5 steps: Slip on clothing, Slop on SPF30+ sunscreen, Slap on a hat, Seek shade, and Slide on sunglasses, particularly when the UV index is 3 or higher.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

HELLISH TIMES

We've had three consecutive days in Victoria where temperatures have stayed up in the low 40s (˚C). The extreme heat, strong winds and tinder dry grasslands and Eucalypt forests have created a catastrophic set of circumstances for bushfires to start. Climate change and unpredictable weather events are making each year worse in Australia as fires, floods, droughts, cyclones and storms wreak havoc.

Presently, hundreds of firefighters are flat out out trying to contain many large out-of-control fires as night falls on Victoria, the most concerning fire is the enormous Longwood fire, which has been threatening several townships as it spreads through central Victoria. Firefighters and emergency services are concerned as a change in wind direction expected this Friday evening could hamper their efforts, as it pushes the blazes into new directions.

Three people, including a child, remain unaccounted-for after a house burned down in Longwood. The Country Fire Authority says cooler, calmer conditions might allow firefighters to assess the impact of multiple blazes in the coming days.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

WEATHER

We get a lot of weather in Melbourne, all year round, but also all of it on one day. Spring is usually a good season to experience all sorts of interesting weather conditions. Like today, which started out grey with showers, then fining up for little and then strong winds, bringing down many trees and causing damage, and then rain... Never a dull moment!

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme
and also part of the Nature Notes meme

MELBOURNE MUSEUM

The Melbourne Museum is a natural and cultural history museum located in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia. Located adjacent to the Royal Exhibition Building, the museum was opened in 2000 as a project of the Government of Victoria, on behalf of Museums Victoria which administers the venue. The museum won Best Tourist Attraction at the Australian Tourism Awards in 2011.

The last few days of Winter here in Melbourne have been windy, cold and wet, so museums, libraries and art galleries are definitely the places to be!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

RAIN ON THE WAY

View of the CBD from Preston, about 12 km away.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

A SPRING DAY

Another Spring day followed on from yesterday and it was a beautiful, sunny, mild and fragrant day. One could not help but go out and find some sunny spot in a park somewhere to enjoy the weather. Many Spring flowers are starting to appear (rather early this year!).

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme

and also part of the Seasons meme

A TOUCH OF SPRING

After a very cold morning today, the sun began to shine and by 10:00 a.m. there was a smell of Spring about. Could not resist going to the Parklands, where many other people had the same idea!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

RAINY DAY IN THE CITY

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

RAINY NIGHT

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

WINTER IS COMING

After a sunny but cold day yesterday, we had the clouds rolling in, the wind brought the temperature down even further and then the rain came. Yes, Winter is here.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

RAINY DAY

Looking towards the City on Royal Parade, in Parkville. The famous Melbourne elms are beginning to turn yellow as a prelude to Winter. Yet they are still going strong, remaining free of Dutch elm disease!

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

RAINY NIGHT

A rainy night in Melbourne tonight, as Autumn digs its heels in. Hurry home for some snug and cosy delights.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

RAIN

As Autumn progresses in Melbourne, the days get shorter (of course!), the nights are noticeably cooler and the days more often than not are mellow and warm. However, increasingly we may see rain showers, or occasionally heavy rain that can lead to flash-flooding. Well, it's Melbourne, and if you don't like the weather, wait an hour and it will change!

The gardens of course gratefully receive the rain and this year everything seems to be growing/blooming prematurely. For example, I saw the first Spring bulbs sprouting today! A few months before their time...

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

STORM

We are seeing all sorts of strange weather phenomena on the southeastern coast of Australia. Some very devastating cyclonic weather in the northeast, heatwaves and then plummeting temperatures with storms in Melbourne. Climate change is happening and we're facing the music worldwide...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

SUMMER DAY

We've had a typical Melbourne Summer day today: Overcast, muggy morning with a sudden semitropical downpour that refreshed the gardens. Then, the clouds disappeared, the sun started to climb in the sky and the heat intensified, reaching a high of 40˚C. Then, fortunately, in the evening a cool change rolled in and the temperature fell, with a more comfortable 22˚C now at night. The temperature is predicted to fall a few more degrees later tonight and a maximum of 22˚C tomorrow... Never a dull moment!

Needless to say, this being a long weekend (on account of Australia Day yesterday), the beaches were packed full of people seeking some relief and unfortunately, there a few spot fires around the City, with one of them at least suspected arson. Fortunately, no casualties and no houses lost. Thank you, Fire Brigade!

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Merry Christmas! A hot, fine day in Melbourne today, perfect for an Antipodean Summer Christmas. This is the view towards one of our local parks, early in the morning. The temperature climbed up to 34˚C. Boxing Day tomorrow promises even hotter weather with a maximum expected around 40˚C.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme

SUMMER IS HERE

We've had a hot day today, with a maximum temperature of 33˚C. Tomorrow we expect a maximum of 41˚C, so Summer is definitely here. The sky is a brilliant blue as the sun beats down and the red earth is hotter than it looks. The gum trees provide some welcome shade.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

THIRSTY BEE

On a hot day, bees swarm on the birdbath, drinking much water.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

RAINY EVENING

After a hot and humid day, we had some rain in the evening, which made things a little more comfortable. Not to mention the opportunity for taking a sky shot of the sunset through a wet window...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.