"Of droughts and flooding rains...."

[RKRuss]

Guys,

Please spare a thought for the residents of Victoria, in south-eastern Australia. According to the news tonight there have been 12 fatalities as a result of approximately 30 to 40 bushfires raging through the state. Police are concerned that the figure could be as high as 40 dead.

At the opposite extreme you have Queensland in the north-east of the country. In the north of the state (up near where I live) we are experiencing heavy monsoonal rainfall and massive flooding as a result. If only we could send a bit of our weather down to the south.

I'd rather cyclones and floods than bushfires any day. Any Vics on the board - you're in my thoughts.

Cheers,

Russ

[HV]

Yes are thoughts are with our Aussie Bros for sure

[CndUltra88]

My thoughts will be with you guys and gals too.
Western Canada here, near YVR .....
And to my Cusins to the South of me as well, between the Snow and Freezing rain,
hope everyone is safe and comfortable.
Rob

[Panzer]

From the other side of the world, our thoughts are with you all, from the USA.
We won't forget our brother's and sister's, stay safe.

[truck]

Good luck to you guys, just a short time ago you were basking in 114* F. temps and now you've got fire and floods.
I hope it doesn't start raining frogs and the locusts stay away too.

[roadtrain]

Hi,

From Nth Queensland as well. 45 days of non stop rain with more to come.

Mother nature at her worst....floods at one end with fires at the other.

I have just heard about the loss of lives and homes in Victoria. The cruel part about these fires is that alot of them are deliberately started.

They caught a volunteer fire fighter who had been lighting fire so his unit would be called out....one sick bastard.

[Ultrashovel]

Guys,

Please spare a thought for the residents of Victoria, in south-eastern Australia. According to the news tonight there have been 12 fatalities as a result of approximately 30 to 40 bushfires raging through the state. Police are concerned that the figure could be as high as 40 dead.

At the opposite extreme you have Queensland in the north-east of the country. In the north of the state (up near where I live) we are experiencing heavy monsoonal rainfall and massive flooding as a result. If only we could send a bit of our weather down to the south.

I'd rather cyclones and floods than bushfires any day. Any Vics on the board - you're in my thoughts.

Cheers,

Russ

Sorry to hear this, Mate. Our thoughts and prayers are with our Aussie friends!

[Milehog]

Biblical rains in the north. The death count in the south keeps climbing. Dry as a bone, 47 C (117 F) heat, over 100 homes destroyed. Let's hope it dosn't become another Ash Wednesday.

[roadtrain]

An update.....

This is a disaster, the fires have claimed 108 lives os far with many areas not searched as yet. Over 700 homes lost.

[Milehog]

Damn, it's worse.

[mite5255]

The love of field and coppice,
  Of green and shaded Lanes,
  Of ordered woods and gardens,
  Is running in your veins;
  Strong love of grey-blue distance,
  Brown streams and soft, dim skies -
  I know but cannot share it,
  My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
  A land of sweeping plains,
  Of ragged mountain ranges,
  Of drought and flooding rains,
  I love her far horizons,
  I love her jewel sea,
  Her beauty and her terror -
  The wide brown land for me.

The tragic ring-barked forests
  Stark white beneath the moon,
  The sapphire-misted mountains,
  The hot gold hush of noon.
  Green tangle of the brushes
  Where lithe lianas coil,
  An orchids deck the tree-tops
  And ferns the crimson soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
  Her pitiless blue sky,
  When sick at heart around us
  We see the cattle die -
  But then the grey clouds gather
  And we can bless again
  The drumming of an army,
  The steady, soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
  Land of the Rainbow Gold,
  For flood and fire and famine,
  She pays us back threefold;
  Over the thirsty paddocks,
  Watch, after many days,
  The filmy veil of greenness
  That thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country,
  A wilful, lavish land -
  All you who have not loved her,
  You will not understand -
  Though Earth holds many splendours,
  Wherever I may die,
  I know to what brown Country
  My homing thoughts will fly.

[mite5255]

at 7.10 pm monday evening the toll is 131 lives lost....its absolutely horrific

[roadtrain]

at 7.10 pm monday evening the toll is 131 lives lost....its absolutely horrific

RIP

[Clintster]

Prayers sent   

[FLH]

Sorry to hear of your losses there and the misfortune of all touched by this. The weather has certainly gone crazy. And now with this volcano in Alaska, I'm sure it's gonna have an effect on the weather everywhere at some point.

[FSG]

and if the flooding up north wasn't bad enough, there is now Cyclone Hamish to contend with.