Australia experienced the hottest day in recorded history yesterday, on January 7. The average maximum temperature across Australia reached 40.33 degrees Celsius, beating the previous record of 40.17 degrees set in December 21, 1972. There was only three times in recorded history when mercury showed average maximum temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. Last four months of 2012 broke all previous records with maximum temperatures across the continent 1.6 degrees Celsius above average.
Hobart, Tasmania also recorded its hottest day in 130 years on January 4, with temperature peaked at 41.8 degrees Celsius.
Seems like weather patterns are going haywire. We've had the wettest winter ever here in England.
We've had warnings about the impact of all this on agriculture and food prices.
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In a few more years, 40 degrees celsius is going to be considered a normal summer day temp.
The excess heat will kill crops, erode topsoil, cause massive fires, and there won't be any water to put the fires out because the lakes, rivers, and aquafiers will be dry.
The temperature will increase right across the globe, causing more extreme weather than anyone's ever seen before.
NBC news said it was something like 120F in parts of Australia. 105F would be more like I experience in Texas. No matter. It is ugly! Agriculture sure suffers too. In the USA corn and soybean prices are higher than ever. That means pork and steaks are more expensive. And gasoline (ethanol).
Australia's record-breaking heatwave has sent temperatures soaring, melting road tar and setting off hundreds of wildfires - as well as searing new colors onto weather maps.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has added dark purple and magenta to its weather forecasting map to represent temperatures of 51 to 54 degrees Celsius (123.8 to 129.2 Fahrenheit), officials said.
jfh believe it or not last thursday it was 44 deg celcius her where we live, and 40 the day before, but it is quite common for us to have days over 40 nearly every year,but I can tell you it is not very pleasant, we actually had a power blackout on the 40 day last week from 8-50 pm till 10-55 pm thank goodness it was during the night hours, and not in daylight.
Here are some stunning pictures of a cyclone hangin over Western Australia at the moment, I'm glad I don't live over there.
The fires have been terrible and I feel so sorry for all the people that have lost their homes and live stock, and the poor firefighters it must be so exausting, fighting in those temperatures, we have been lucky so far here that we have had only small fires so far, but there is still 2 months of summer to go yet,hopefully we won't get any major fires.
Temperatures in the high 40s have been recorded way back in the 1930s here so it is not something new for Australia, I can remember as a child the hot summers we used to have and we didn't have air conditioners back then,I dont know how we coped.
Ozzie, I don't remember where you are, but, glad to hear you're ok - I have 2 friends defending their farms from fire yesterday and today - both managed to save the homestead and animals, but not much more.
When they are safe, they're helping the firies in the area...
Australia record breaking heat.
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