Page 10 - AT

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 11 February 2020
Deluge in Australia drenches fires and eases 3-year drought

By NICK PERRY even months." In all, Austra-
Associated Press lia's wildfires killed at least
WELLINGTON, New Zealand 33 people and destroyed
(AP) — Drought, wildfires more than 3,000 homes.
and now flooding have The fires began causing
given Australia's weather widespread destruction
an almost Biblical feel this toward the end of 2019,
year. The good news is that which was both the hottest
a recent deluge in eastern and driest year in Australia's
parts of the country has recorded history, accord-
drenched deadly fires and ing to the Bureau of Meteo-
helped ease a crippling rology.
drought. During the deluge over re-
But experts say it will take cent days, coastal areas
some time yet to know to have experienced some of
what extent the rainfall has the heaviest rainfalls, which
replenished dried-up rivers has caused flash flooding in
and quenched parched some places. Sydney, the
soil in some inland ar- central coast and the Blue
eas most affected by the Mountains received up to
3-year drought. 400 millimeters (16 inches)
Quentin Grafton, an eco- since Friday, representing
nomics professor and wa- some of the heaviest falls in
ter expert at Australian Na- A resident inspects sea foam brought by waves approaching on beach front houses after heavy decades.
tional University in Canber- rain and storms at Collaroy in Sydney's Northern Beaches, Monday, February 10, 2020. Dams in the greater Syd-
ra, said the rain had broken Associated Press ney area were more than
64% full on Monday after
the drought in some towns being only 42% full a week
but had not fallen evenly earlier, according to offi-
across all the affected ar- cials. More rain is forecast
eas. over the coming days.
"At this stage, it's very good But not everybody was
news, and certainly much ready to begin celebrat-
more than people could ing. Darryl Cowie, the own-
have wished for or expect- er of the Burke & Wills Me-
ed," he said of the rainfall. nindee Motel in the Out-
"There are some very hap- back town of Menindee,
py people." said they'd received only a
Grafton said drought had small amount of rain over-
badly affected an area night.
of more than 1.5 million "The ground was damp, but
square kilometers (580,000 it's drying out again now,"
square miles), which is larg- he said. "It's not enough to
er than the country of Ethi- do anything."
opia. He said monitoring on Cowie said he has been
major rivers over the com- serving guests bottled wa-
In this March 4, 2019, file photo, a Hindu holy man smokes marijuana at the courtyard of the ing days should provide ter for about a year now,
Pashupatinath Temple during Shivaratri festivalin Kathmandu, Nepal. a clearer picture of how ever since the tap water
Nepal lawmakers seek to Associated Press much the rain has helped. became discolored and
salty tasting due to the
Fire authorities had a rea-
legalize growing, using marijuana son to celebrate, with drought. He said the town
has since switched to bore
many wildfires being ex-
tinguished or significantly water, which has improved
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) crop and allowing farmers cotics in the 1960s when dampened down by the the quality.
— Ruling party lawmak- to grow it would greatly hippies made their way rain. On Saturday, authori- "There are clouds that have
ers have proposed legal- benefit those who are im- to Nepal. Shops and tea ties declared the Currowan come past, but by the time
izing marijuana in Nepal, poverished. houses used advertise Fire south of Sydney was fi- they reach us, they're emp-
where it has been used "Legalizing marijuana will and sell it legally. Nepal nally out after destroying ty," he said. "We're keeping
for generations and was help the poor farmers and made it illegal in 1976 with more than 300 homes and our fingers crossed. Sydney
famed during the coun- since most of the Western the Narcotic Drugs Con- razing 500,000 hectares is copping it, but it's a long
terculture '60s. world, which was reason trol Act. Users are jailed for (1.2 million acres) over two- way from here."q
Forty-six members of the for making it illegal in the a month while traffickers and-a-half months.
ruling Communist Party of first place, have already are sent to prison for up to "This is the most positive
Nepal filed the proposal ended the prohibition, 10 years. news we've had in some
in Parliament to legalize Nepal should also lift the Marijuana have been time," the New South Wales
the production and use of ban," Khatiwada said. used in Nepal for genera- Rural Fire Service tweeted
marijuana, party lawmak- The proposal must be tions. Although it is illegal, on Monday. "The recent
er Birod Khatiwada said debated in Parliament it is almost freely smoked rainfall has assisted fire-
Monday. before any changes are during the festival of the fighters to put over 30 fires
He said the Himalayan made to existing laws. Ne- Hindu god Shiva, which out since Friday. Some of
country's mountainous pal was famed for use of is scheduled for later this these blazes have been
terrain is suitable for the marijuana and other nar- month.q burning for weeks and