Archive for November 26th, 2007
Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
New South Wales
TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
for FLASH FLOODING
For people in the CENTRAL TABLELANDS, ACT, CENTRAL WEST SLOPES, SOUTH WEST SLOPES and parts of the SOUTHERN TABLELANDS, NORTH WEST SLOPES, CENTRAL WEST PLAINS, RIVERINA, UPPER WESTERN and LOWER WESTERN Forecast Districts.
Issued at 3:23 pm Monday, 26 November 2007.
Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce very heavy rainfall and flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Orange, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Cobar and Bourke.
Cobar airport has already recorded 61 mm of rain in 2 hours today.
The State Emergency Service advises that people should:
* Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
* Don’t walk, ride your bike or drive through flood water.
* Unplug computers and appliances.
* Avoid using the phone during the storm.
* Stay indoors away from windows, and keep children and pets indoors as well.
* For emergency help in floods and storms, ring the SES (NSW and ACT) on 132 500.
The next warning is due to be issued by 6:25 pm.
If severe thunderstorms develop in Canberra and Queanbeyan, a more detailed Severe Thunderstorm Warning will be issued to people in this area.
Warnings are also available through TV and Radio broadcasts, the Bureau’s website at www.bom.gov.au or call 1300 659 218. The Bureau and State Emergency Service would appreciate warnings being broadcast regularly.
Update 6:45pm:
For people in the CENTRAL TABLELANDS, ACT, CENTRAL WEST SLOPES, CENTRAL WEST PLAINS, SOUTH WEST SLOPES, RIVERINA, UPPER WESTERN, LOWER WESTERN and parts of the HUNTER, SOUTHERN TABLELANDS, NORTH WEST SLOPES and NORTH WEST PLAINS Forecast Districts.
Issued at 5:24 pm Monday, 26 November 2007.
Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce very heavy rainfall and flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Orange, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Tibooburra, Cobar and Broken Hill.
Cobar airport has already recorded 61 mm of rain in 2 hours today.
The next warning is due to be issued by 8:25 pm.
End Update
Update 7:57pm:
For people in the CENTRAL WEST SLOPES, RIVERINA and parts of the CENTRAL TABLELANDS, SOUTHERN TABLELANDS, CENTRAL WEST PLAINS, SOUTH WEST SLOPES and LOWER WESTERN Forecast Districts.
Issued at 7:50 pm Monday, 26 November 2007.
Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce very heavy rainfall and flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Orange, Dubbo, Parkes, Wagga Wagga, Griffith and Hay.
Severe thunderstorms are no longer occurring in the HUNTER, ACT, NORTH WEST SLOPES, NORTH WEST PLAINS and UPPER WESTERN districts and the warning for these districts is CANCELLED.
The next warning is due to be issued by 10:50 pm. (Unless it affects the ACT, it will not be reproduced here. See http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN65156.shtml for further updates.)
End Update
November 26th, 2007 at 03:56pm
Jonathan Cainer, an astrologer I have previously written about as being a good story teller, writes something rather apt for my star sign today.
You have this uncanny ability to make wrong things sound right. It is not just that you can look on the bright side; it is more as if you carry around a torch and a pot of reflective paint. This lets you add sparkle to even the most dreary situations. Though you are never deliberately deceptive, sometimes you summon so much enthusiasm that you become convinced about a debatable point.
I’m not a huge believe in astrology, but I think Jonathan hit the nail on the head today, especially if he is talking about my election prediction. (Coalition by two seats…could I have been more wrong?)
Samuel
November 26th, 2007 at 12:41pm
After finally going to bed at about 7am on Sunday I slept for about 24 hours which, considering that except for about an hour I had been awake since late Thursday morning, I think is quite reasonable. As a result I missed Peter Costello’s announcement that he will not stand for the Liberal leadership, and instead retire to the backbench.
In many ways, I think this is the best thing Mr. Costello could do. He is as much responsible for the loss as John Howard is, and I think John Howard’s endorsement of Peter Costello was the proverbial “final nail” for Peter Costello’s political career, which I think is a shame in many ways as he is a great treasurer, but also a good thing as it gives the Liberal Party a chance to “move on”.
I don’t know who will take over the Liberal leadership this week, it wouldn’t surprise me if Malcolm Turnbull gets the job, but I just don’t know. In any case I doubt that it matters as I think we may see a number of leadership changes between now and the next election, and it’s the leader at the next election that matters.
I only see two reasonable options. Malcolm Turnbull and Joe Hockey.
I think that, if Labor mantain the relatively conservative position they were elected on for the next few years, then Joe Hockey will be the “warm, fuzzy and friendly” face of the Liberals, however if Labor shift back to the left then Malcolm Tunbull will be the “strong, conservative” leader.
It has been pointed out to me that Mr. Turnbull isn’t as conservative as he may appear, but I don’t think that’s what matters, it’s the fact that he appears to be conservative to the public.
Regardless of who leads the Liberal party, if they want to have any chance of taking back power in three years time, they will get out the broom and reposition themselves as a “new” Liberal party. I think people such as Alexander Downer and Phillip Ruddock will make it easier by following Peter Costello’s lead, and with any luck the same will happen to Tony Abbott, either voluntarily or by choice. In three years time, if the Liberal party know what’s good for them, will be a “new” party.
Julie Bishop strikes me as a good choice for the deputy leadership, maybe even the leadership, but I just can’t see her actually being voted in as leader.
Anyway, the Liberal party have a rather small minority, and they are going to spend at least the next three years, and probably at least the next six, as the sideshow. They have an interesting few years ahead of them. Hopefully for their sake, and for the sake of the nation having a decent opposition, they sort out their internal squabbles as soon as possible.
Samuel
November 26th, 2007 at 10:52am
Good morning Lawsie,
Your final week, a lot of us are going to be very very sad by Midday on Friday.
Anyway, congratulations on seeing in yet another prime minister…do you think you could stick around for the next one?
Regards,
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
Canberra
November 26th, 2007 at 10:00am
I’ve just been having a look back over the last few elections and who I wanted to win them. I think it’s safe to say that I am an election jinx.
2004 Australian Federal Election: I have to admit that I favoured Mark Latham’s Labor Party. Thankfully I was not old enough to vote. Result: Majority Coalition victory.
2004 ACT Territory Election: Brendan Smyth’s Liberal Party. Result: Majority Labor government.
2004 U.S. Election: I was supporting the Democrats. Result: Republican George W. Bush returned as U.S. President
2006 U.S. Midterm Election: By 2006 I had swung back to the Republican party. Result: Convincing Democrat victory leaves George W. Bush a “lame duck president”.
2007 NSW State Election: Peter Debnam’s Liberal Party. Result: Morris Iemma and Labor returned to power.
2007 Australian Federal Election: Voted for and supported John Howard’s Liberal/National Coalition. Result: Kevin Rudd’s Labor Party win power with a majority parliament.
At this stage it looks like the jinx doesn’t necessarily count for people I vote for as Gary Humphries looks set to keep his senate seat. The jinx seems to have more to do with overall election outcomes, but we’ll have more data to play with after next year’s ACT Election.
Samuel
November 26th, 2007 at 08:42am