Search icon

News

24th Jan 2019

Australian heatwave is smashing all previous temperature records

Alan Loughnane

Ireland weather

Absolute nightmare.

In the second heatwave in as many weeks, temperature records across south Australia have been broken again as the city of Adelaide experienced its hottest day on record.

The Bureau of Meteorology reported temperatures of 49.1C north of Adelaide, while inside the city there were temperatures of 46.6C, beating a record which has stood from 1939.

More than 13 towns across South Australia have broken their own heat records in the past two weeks including 300km north-west in Port Augusta which recorded a max temperature of 49.1C and Whyalla which reached 48.5C.

The heatwaves are part of a summer that the Bureau of Meteorology said would be hotter and drier than average, partially as a result of climate change.

Emergency services are on alert in more than 13 districts as bushfires warnings are in place across a number of states. Country Fire Service state duty commander Yvette Dowling told News.com.au the soaring temperatures will be unmanageable in many parts of Adelaide.

“If a fire does start with these forecast weather conditions, we’re not going to be able to control that fire,” she said.

In other areas, mass culls of camels and wild horses have been carried out as the animals were dying of thirst in the sweltering weather as watering holes dried up in the heat.

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Conor Sketches | Tiger Woods loves Ger Loughnane and cosplaying as Charles LeClerc