In a cruel twist of weather, a mere sprinkle of rain after an extended dry spell has left tens of thousands of homes across Perth and Western Australia’s midwest region in the dark. The light drizzle, just enough to dampen months’ worth of accumulated dust on power poles, triggered a spate of pole top fires that cut electricity to an estimated 38,000 properties on Saturday morning.
The phenomenon, which officials say can occur when light rain mixes with dust and pollution to create conductive tracks on insulators, caused dozens of poles to smolder and ignite. Zane Christmas, Western Power’s executive manager for asset operations, explained that this unlikely series of events can heat up poles to their burning point.
This tracking electricity can heat poles to a point where they smoulder and burn.
Zane Christmas, Western Power executive manager
Perth received a meager 2.4mm of rainfall overnight Friday, just a fraction of the average following an exceptionally dry three months that saw only 15mm total. While pole top fires are an unusual occurrence, Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore noted they do happen sporadically around the country when specific conditions align.
The localized showers provided a temporary reprieve for crews battling bushfires in the state’s southwest, including an 11,000-hectare blaze raging in the Wheatbelt region. However, the wet weather interlude will be short-lived as temperatures are forecast to climb back into the 40s by midweek, peaking at a blistering 41°C on Thursday.
Extreme Heat Poised to Strike SE Australia
As the heat shifts eastward from Western Australia, it’s set to roast southeastern parts of the country in the coming days. The punishing temperatures will first take hold in South Australia on Sunday before marching into Victoria on Monday, where the mercury could soar above 42°C.
With the heat comes heightened fire danger, with Narramore warning of extreme risk for much of western and central Victoria in addition to South Australia. Strong winds will only exacerbate the precarious conditions.
With that heat it’ll also be windy, so we’re also looking at extreme fire dangers for parts of South Australia and much of western and central Victoria on Monday. So, another spike fire and heat day for pretty much [the whole of] southeast Australia.
Dean Narramore, Bureau of Meteorology
The scorching heat is then predicted to push further north and east, gripping western Sydney with temperatures in the low 40s on Tuesday before a cool change moves in. While southeastern Queensland is enjoying a cooler, post-storm reprieve this weekend, the state’s tropical north braces for potential heavy rains and thunderstorms to start the week.
Sweltering Weather Outlook Continues
This latest burst of intense heat comes as no surprise with the Bureau’s seasonal outlook pointing to above average temperatures for much of Australia in the coming months. Bouts of extreme conditions are expected to continue on a regular basis.
“It’s getting hot again, in the southeast and the east, and then it’ll cool down midweek and probably get hot again this time next week,” Narramore said of the relentless heat-to-cool-to-heat cycle forecast to repeat in the near future.
As climate change drives temperatures ever higher and extreme weather events more frequent, Australians will likely find themselves facing more precarious scenarios like that in Perth – where even a bit of rain at the wrong time can have hazardous consequences. Staying alert to rapidly changing conditions and heeding official warnings will be critical to safely navigating the challenging summer ahead.
