HEAT WAVE GROWS TO AWFUL CLIMAX. 14 Jan 1939. From 104.4 at 9 a.m., the highest ever recorded in the city at that hour, the readings rose relentlessly to 113.6 (45.6 Celsius) at 1.30 p.m., an all-time high for Sydney. In the suburbs, away from the sea, even higher temperatures were recorded. One of the highest unofficial readings at Sydney was 121 degrees at Auburn.
HEAT WAVE GROWS TO AWFUL CLIMAX (1939, January 14). The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 – 1954), p. 1 (LAST RACE ALL DETAILS). Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229480283#
62 Now Dead In Bush Fires
TRAGEDIES MOUNT IN COUNTRY
Cool Change To-night Now Forecast
The nation-wide heat-wave, worst in Australia’s history, grew to-day to a dreadful climax of tragedy and devastation.
SYDNEY awoke from its terrible night, to a day of searing heat, which shattered all official records.
From 104.4 at 9 a.m., the highest ever recorded in the city at that hour, the readings rose relentlessly to 113.6 at 1.30 p.m., an all-time high for Sydney.
In the suburbs, away from the sea, even higher temperatures were recorded.
The atmosphere in the open was like a furnace blast, and nearly 100 cases of collapse were reported by ambulance officers.
The dread threat of fire added to the horror of the day, and many homes were menaced by flames that ringed the metropolitan area and aroused new fears in mountain towns.
A strong, cooling southerly, to reach Sydney at 7 o’clock to-night, was forecast this afternoon by Mr. Mares, who rose dramatically from his sick-bed when records toppled. A further southerly, with rain, is likely to arrive to-morrow.
Sufferings of the Outback
INLAND the blistered countryside was again scorched by a pitiless sun. Six more heat deaths were reported to-day, bringing the total near the 100 mark.
Scores of towns reported temperatures over 100, many of them having experienced all the dreadful discomfort of such a scorching without a break for three weeks. (See Page 2.)
VICTORIA, most scourged of all States, sees horror mounting on incalculable horror. To-day, 29 additional deaths in the bush fires were reported, bringing the red roll of the calamity to 62 this week.
As the fires rage on to new havoc over a 100-mile front, relief parties are hourly finding fresh victims, men, women and children burned alive, trapped in their homes or caught by the blaze as they raced for safety.
Towns Wiped Out By Fire
The damage is as yet beyond calculation ; several towns have been completely wiped out, and in other centres embraced by the inferno, 550 homes, it is estimated, have been swallowed up. (See Page 3.)
SOUTH AUSTRALIA, too, is still fighting to preserve life and property from the fires which have destroyed many homes. Damage will be in the vicinity of half a million.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA, where the heat wave has passed, is being lashed by a cyclone. Torrential rain has held up work in several mines and the west-bound transcontinental
train is marooned 86 miles east of Kalgoorlie. Relief by road or air is impossible and, the service has been suspended indefinitely. (See Page 2.)
Fifty police have been drafted specially to help metropolitan fire-fighters, who, at Newport, include the Minister for Education (Mr. Drummond) and Bishop Moyes, of Armidale.
The worst Blue Mountains fire is at Valley Heights, with which telephonic communication has failed.
Fifty girl patients fled when the Queen Victoria Sanitarium at Thirlmere was surrounded
by flames.
Running a gauntlet of flame on the main road, the TumutCoolac mail car caught fire this afternoon and was totally destroyed. The driver vainly tried to rescue the mail, which
was reduced to cinders. He barely escaped with his life.
Heat considerably affected the attendance at Warwick Farm races to-day, attendance being cut by half. Majority of men were coatless and many bookmakers did not field.
Starter, J, Gaxieu was called away to fight a fire threatening his home at Castle Hill.
One of the highest unofficial readings at Sydney was 121 degrees at Auburn.
The Agricultural Show at Dapto was abandoned when hundreds of towns people turned out to fight a fire which is burning fiercely on the mountain overlooking the town.
The Premier (Mr. Stevens) presided over an ice cream cabinet. Only a skeleton staff of 13 was on duty at the Premier’s office. Mr. Stevens called all into the Cabinet room, and sent for
ginger beer and a pound block of ice-cream.
At Canberra, members of the Science Congress abandoned all excursions.
While the countryside is ablaze Melbourne is cool again, 74.0 at 10 a.m. City is obscured by smoke.
Brisbane, too, has its smoke pall, with a temperature of 94 at noon. Inland readings are well over 100. Rain is expected.
Hobart has had its rain and is now getting 50 m.p.h. squalls.
Adelaide has had only temporary relief. Temperatures are rising again.