Melbourne Again In Grip Of Heat Wave

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28802, 24 January 1959, Page 13

Melbourne Again In Grip Of Heat Wave

(Rec. 11.15 p.m.) / MELBOURNE, January 23. With five babies still seriously ill in the Royal Children’s Hospital from the effects of last weekend’s heat wave, searing heat today again clamped a suffocating hand on Melbourne.

A high-pressure belt, pinched between a cyclone off the east coast of Australia and a low pressure area in the south-west, has brought the heat back to southeastern Australia. In Melbourne the temperature reached 101 deg. shortly after lunch—the fourth time it has risen above lOOdeg. in a week. A Weather Bureau spokesman has predicted heat wave conditions for the week-end. Three days of heat over the week-end killed 17 babies, 14 adults and put 200 others in hospital. The heat, blamed for hastening the death of many persons who died of natural causes, is adding to the extreme fire danger throughout Victoria, which has lasted for more than a week. Grass and undergrowth throughout Victoria is yellowbrown and brittle, ready to burst into flames. Anyone lighting a fire in the open faces up to two years in gaol, Water restrictions, lifted only 48 hours ago, were again imposed today when water consumption soared. Melbourne is having an abnormally sunny and dry January, the Weather Bureau reported today. In the first 22 days of the month Melbourne has had 230 hours of sunshine, compared with Sydney’s 140 hours. Melbourne has had only eight points of rain this month, compared with the average for all January of 188 points. Fires In South-east Tired fire-fighters worked in rising temperatures and sticky heat today to control fires burning out of control in south-east Victoria. The fires were about fourfifths under control, although some of the outer edges were

causing problems. Crews working with machines and hand-trailing equipment had miles of edges to guard. The fire which earlier threatened the lower Glenelg pins plantation near the South Australian border was “safer” today. The humidity had helped forest men to master the fire, which burnt through wide areas of rugged country around Bete Bolong in the north-east. Because of the heat, the Victorian Railways agreed at the request of the Country Fire Authority today temporarily to stop burning breaks near railway lines. The authority’s chief officer. Mr C. A. Daw, said that the fire danger seemed certain to remain high over the week-end.