First day of 2020 here

[vilakins]

We woke up to eerie yellow skies this morning with smoke from the Australian bush fire being blown across the south island, and it's been getting darker all day. We have the lights on at midday and the unlit rooms are dark and gloomy. It feels like post-9pm twilight except for the colour.

This photo is from a local photographer. My phone camera compensated for the yellow light so I couldn't get a photo of my own. The moon was deep red last night.



It's now become more orange and the street lights are on. I hate to think what it's like over in Oz. Be safe, everyone!

Comments

[mab_browne]

We're that little further east again and so have just a normal grey day today. I've been looking the pics from Otago and Southland with a jaundiced eye - although not as jaundiced as your skies.

[vilakins]

It's been raining a bit since midday and that's taken a lot of the smoke out of the air. It's just a dark grey day now with a slight strangeness to the light.

[vilakins]

I posted a picture in comments below of the orange pall at midday and the weird line over the sea.

[mab_browne]

We've had no smoke or weird skies, but the moon was a brilliant coral red last night and this morning. Pretty but strange. If my daughter gets her act together I'll have a picture of that later.

[vilakins]

We had a very red moon too, the night before. I haven't seen it since because it's been raining.

[imhilien]

I'm sorry to hear about that, I hope it clears away soon. :( I feel sorry for Oz at the moment.

I could smell smoke quite strongly this morning. Low lying areas of Auckland have had a smoky haze over them for ages. :(

[vilakins]

The rain's taken a lot of the smoke away so it's just grey now, but we can still smell smoke. They said for susceptible people to keep windows closed and not go out but I haven't noticed any ill effects. It's turned cool though; probably not enough sunlight.

[imhilien]

At least there's been some improvement.

[vilakins]

And it's a relief. It was seriously creepy before. Here's a photo from Lookout Point around midday.

[imhilien]

That's creepy, yes. :/

[maia]

What a horrific situation. The smoke and darkness must be unnerving indeed.

*Hugs you*

[vilakins]

Thanks! It got worse (see the photo I posted above in a comment) but the rain that came soon after took a lot of it out of the air. It was just grey then, but still darker than an average rainy day.

[julesjones]

I think people who've never experienced it simply can't grasp how far the smoke and ash can blow. And the smell of roast lamb as the fires burnt farms during the Ash Wednesday fires. My colleagues here didn't really understand why I was so unnerved by the smoke hanging over the city during the moors fire last spring. It was several miles away so why was I worried?

[vilakins]

You were there - how horrible! No wonder you were worried about the moors. We've had several fires around here from burn-offs gone out of control (one lunatic started one during very strong winds and friends driving back to their farm called the fire brigade when they saw said idiot with a measly hose) but nothing like they get in Australia.

[pebblerocker]

We had a strange yellow morning in the Waikato today too. Not dark, but it looks very odd.

I do wish phone cameras wouldn't try to correct colours like they do. I often try to take photos of things because of their interesting colour, and the phone makes pink flowers and orange cats and blue water look dull because it's trying to average them out.

[vilakins]

Did you see the orange photo I put in the comments? Someone else took it here, but it's just what the light was like - very creepy - before the rain came and cleaned the air. Today feels pretty much normal for a wet day, so much brighter.

[pebblerocker]

Yes! Very creepy.