Editing Porongurup National Park (section)

==Climate==
The plains surrounding the Porongurup Range have an annual rainfall of around {{convert|800|mm}} to the south and around {{convert|600|mm}} on the northern side. Most of this rain falls between April and October: although light showers are common in the summer months, the average rainfall between November and March totals only around {{convert|110|mm}} in the southern plains and less than {{convert|75|mm}} to the north. Summer temperatures on the plains average a very warm {{convert|26|°C}} in the daytime and decline to around {{convert|18|°C}} at night. In winter, although it can be rainy, temperatures average a very pleasant {{convert|16|°C}} during the day and a cool {{convert|8|°C}} in the morning.
[[File:Devils-slide-frombatespk.jpg|left|thumb|upright|[[Gibraltar Rock, Porongurups]]]]
Temperatures on the peaks are around 3&nbsp;°C (5.4&nbsp;°F) lower than on the plains, and [[snow in Australia|snow]] has occasionally fallen on the ranges (heavily in October 1992 and June 1956).

=== Fire and cyclones ===
In 1978, [[Cyclone Alby]] felled many trees within the National Park (it was an unusual depression that produced very little rainfall after moving south of the [[Tropic of Capricorn]]).

On 11 February 2007, a fire began on private property near the north-west corner of the park. It quickly spread into the native vegetation and raced up the steep slopes within hours. Volunteer fire crews and [[Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)|Department]]'s firefighters battled the fast-moving blaze and managed to contain it overnight after it had burnt around 50% of the park. The fire broke containment lines on Monday afternoon (12 February) and spread further through the park and into private property to the north-east. Fire crews, including aerial support from six [[Aerial firefighting|water bomber planes]], continued the battle to contain the blaze and by Tuesday morning it was again under control though still burning freely within the containment zone. Water bombers paid special attention to tourist facilities and special habitats, including an area where endangered [[Scrub-bird|noisy scrub birds]] had been released. By Wednesday morning (14 February) the fire had burnt through around 95% of the national park.<ref>Albany & Great Southern Weekender, 15 February 2007</ref>

As many of the trees and vegetation are native to the region, it is expected that the park will, to a large extent, recover in the months after the fire. By early April, Kingia australis plants were re-shooting and flowering abundantly in heavily burnt areas but the legacy of the fire will be felt for some time to come. Local populations of kangaroos and other wildlife were injured and local residents assisted in their care and recovery where possible. There has not been such a devastating fire in the region since the 1960s.
[[File:Porongurup fire 2007.jpg|thumb|right|View of fire from Mount Barker - after approximately three hours burning]]