Northern NSW

A few fires burning in northern NSW and southern QLD today. The most serious is reported near Tweed Heads, at the QLD-NSW border. At this time, none of these fires are posing a particular threat to property and other human values, but the situation bears watching; the fire is to be declared an emergency. 600 ha are reported burnt at this time

The true colour MODIS image is from the afternoon Aqua overpass (7dec 2009), around 1500 LT. The image is about 380 x 250 km. The approximate locale of Tweed Heads is marked (TH), the hot spot just to the south is the fire noted above.

On the image, several other regions of hotspot activity are noted in northern NSW and southern QLD. Several areas of hotspots and smoke are noted in state forest areas in NSW. In southern QLD, near the upper left corner,the fire burning there looks to be producing a pyrocumulus cloud.

Much of this area saw dangerous fire weather conditions today, with moderate northerly winds and temperatures in the inland areas in the upper-30s/low-40s. Fire weather conditions are expected to remain poor tomorrow (8 Dec) throughout QLD and NSW with hot, dry conditions and gusty northerly winds ahead of a cool change. Fire bans are in effect for large portions of both of these states.