Extreme fire danger is forecast for South Australia's North East Pastoral district on Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology warned on Thursday afternoon, a week before the region's fire danger season is due to start.
The Bureau's fire weather warning, issued at 3.37pm ACDT on Thursday, covers the far north-east of the state, including Leigh Creek, Marree, Moomba and Innamincka. It says freshening northwesterly winds and hot, dry conditions will drive the danger on Friday before "a sharp, strong and gusty cool southwesterly change" moves rapidly east in the afternoon, followed by showers and thunderstorms.
Bureau town forecasts issued on Thursday have Innamincka reaching 39 degrees and Moomba 37. Leigh Creek is forecast to reach 26 with showers and a possible storm, and the change brings a high chance of rain across the district. All four towns carry an Extreme fire danger rating for Friday.
It is the only Extreme rating in the state. The CFS ratings table on Thursday afternoon had every other district at Moderate or lower for Friday, and the district itself drops to Moderate on Saturday before rising to High on Sunday, according to the table updated on Thursday evening. The CFS warning advice is short: "Action your Bushfire Survival Plan now."
The timing is the notable part. The CFS declared on 1 October that the fire danger season in the North East Pastoral, North West Pastoral and Flinders districts would start on 15 October, citing "elevated fuel loads and curing". Last season all three districts started on 1 November.
“The threat of bushfire is not exclusive to the northern parts of the state," CFS Director of Community Risk and Resilience Alison May said when the season dates were announced. "Now is the time for all South Australians to ensure they have completed and reviewed their Bushfire Survival Plan with their loved ones.”
The warning follows a warm, dry September. The Bureau's monthly summary, issued on 1 October, recorded South Australia's highest September mean minimum temperature on record, 3.24 degrees above average, and its second-warmest September overall. Rainfall was in the lowest 10 per cent of records for eastern South Australia.
The Bureau's next update to the fire weather warning is due by 7am ACDT on Friday. The CFS publishes its ratings and any Total Fire Ban declarations on its website each afternoon.
