News and updates

0935 Air quality update for the Latrobe Valley

19 Feb 2014


0935

While there are no current smoke advisories for the Latrobe Valley today (Wednesday) some smoke impacts are expected shortly due to changing wind conditions.

Forecast for the next 24 hours (Latrobe Valley)

Morwell: Brief periods of significant smoke likely this morning. Possible smoke impacts this afternoon.

Morwell East: Possible smoke impacts. Significant impacts unlikely.

Moe: Unlikely to experience any significant smoke.

Traralgon: Possible smoke impacts. Significant impacts unlikely.

Overnight air quality at Morwell East and Traralgon fell to poor between 9 and 10 pm yesterday during easterly winds which recirculated smoke that had blown past Morwell East and Traralgon during earlier westerlies.

These were not direct plume strikes, so the intensity of the smoke was not as bad as we have seen in recent days.

DustTrak readings confirm that there were no significant smoke impacts in Morwell town last night.

The 24-hour average PM2.5 (Beta Attenuation Method) result at Morwell East up to 8am today is 24.6 µg/m3, which is very similar to the national advisory reporting standard for PM2.5 (25 µg/m3).

Given that the levels are so close to the standard, this confirms that there have been some smoke impacts during the last 24 hours, but also worth noting that they are currently well below the levels recorded during the weekend and on Monday morning.

Rest of Victoria

A satellite image from yesterday suggests that most of Victoria is clear of smoke except for East Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley (plumes can be seen here).

Air quality in Melbourne and Geelong has been generally good during the past two days.

 

Page last updated on 22 Feb 2014