Australia: Scorching heat stops outback trains

[marmar]

Trains have been halted in western Queensland amid fears tracks may buckle in the scorching heat.

The state is enduring heatwave conditions, with the mercury climbing into the 40s in many inland centres.

Queensland Rail (QR) says passengers travelling on board its Spirit of the Outback train were put onto buses at Emerald this morning to travel west to Longreach.

Similar arrangements have been made for passengers travelling from Longreach to Brisbane tomorrow, who will have to take a bus to Rockhampton before catching the train south.

.....(snip).....

Yesterday Thargomindah and Birdsville in the state's south-west reached 49 degrees - their hottest January day since records began. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-13/scorching-heat-stops-outback-trains/4462750

[xchrom]

1. du rec. nt

[valerief]

2. 120 degrees Fahrenheit! Youch! nt

[UnrepentantLiberal]

3. Holly shit.

49 Celsius is 120 Fahrenheit.

[Confusious]

5. Gets that high in Arizona every summer

Planes can't take off from the Phoenix airport because they get no lift at those temps, or so I've heard.

Of course, I don't think it's natural for austraila.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

6. Too hot for me.

A few days of 105 and humid is all I can stand.

[Confusious]

13. In Tucson, it's not humid at all

Except for a week during the summer, then it's miserable.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

14. I know.

I lived in Las Vegas for a few years. I worked outside one summer. You get used to it.

[RC]

12. The altitude has something to do with this, also.

The elevation of Phoenix is 1211 feet.
Hot air is less dense. So is the air at higher altitudes, so it is the combination.
The major cities I checked in Australia were all double, or low triple digits, in elevation.

[JPZenger]

4. Extreme weather over long periods of time, over huge land areas

Australian is providing us with a warning of what is ahead. They have suffered through incredibly severe weather for very long periods of time, over expansive land areas. Some reports say that in one town, the gas was actually evaporating as people were trying to refuel their cars.

[cantbeserious]

7. It's Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature

[riverbendviewgal]

9. I had this flash of the movie ON THE BEACH

That took place in Australia. The whole world was dying from radiation in the air. Global warming is a similar problem.

[brush]

8. Huh!

It's hot alright but 49 celsius (120 fahrenheit) is seen and lived in in parts of Arizona and Nevada all the time and rails aren't buckling. When I clicked on the story I was expecting to see temps of at least 130.

[Robb]

15. Interesting read here:

http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/midwest-roads-and-rails-buckle-under-intense-heat/article_c4dca640-2d40-52eb-b3e8-e48a84962414.html

[CrispyQ]

18. I had no idea it was so widespread. -nt

[cherokeeprogressive]

17. 56.6C is the record in Baker, CA.

That's 134F to us stupid non-metric Americans.

[progressoid]

10. Fuck.

[jwirr]

11. Actually trains have long been dangerous in fire hazard areas. They set off sparks that can and do

start fires. See the story of the Cloquet fire in MN.

[dembotoz]

16. perhaps road and rail construction methods and standards change with the climate

normal temp ranges produce different environments

in wisconsin roads must be able to handle snow, freeze, thaw, freeze.
in phoneix perhpaps more constant heat.

wisconsin pavement might be unhappy in constant heat