Hottest temperatures in Australia: Major records tumble during heatwave
Australia is resembling something of a pressure cooker this week. An intense heatwave has scorched the country, from it’s urban coastline to the rural settlements. The hottest temperatures ever recorded Down Under have been given a run for their money, as several records were broken over the past 24 hours.
The brutal heat persisted throughout Thursday, but it was on Wednesday where history was made. Barely anywhere in Australia was able to escape the 40C temperatures, apart from a few spots on the Gold Coast and the island of Tasmania. The interior of the country pushed the 50C mark, creating insufferable conditions.
Hottest temperatures in Australia: The records that were broken this week
First up, we’ve got the big one. Wednesday 18 December was the hottest ever day in Australia, as the entire country recorded an average maximum temperature of 41.9C – it obliterated the previous record by a whole degree. It’s worth noting this isn’t the single hottest temperature ever recorded in the country, but in terms of the mean figure, it’s a clear ‘winner’.
Based on preliminary analysis, yesterday, Australia recorded its hottest day on record. The nationally-averaged maximum daytime temp was 41.9 °C exceeding the record set on Tuesday, 40.9 ºC. You can view the top ten highest daily maximum temps here: https://t.co/Cdqm9vD1cI pic.twitter.com/DRDK9LAvrg
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) December 19, 2019
Hottest day in Australia
Meanwhile, the mercury soared towards the 50C mark in some regions. The intense heat in Nullarbor, Southern Australia, smashed record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in December after reaching 49.9C. It’s worth noting this is a two-for-one deal – the Nullarbor scorcher is both a national and global record.
The town in SA territory was just 0.8C off the all-time hottest reading ever in Oz. Eucla in Western Australia and Birdsville in Queensland also tipped the 49C mark:
Températures historiques en #Australie ce 19/12/2019 !!!
— Etienne Kapikian (@EKMeteo) December 19, 2019
***49.9°C Nullarbor (SA)***
et **49.8°C Eucla (WA)**
Nouveau record mensuel national et mondial de chaleur pour un mois de décembre.
ancien : 49.5°C, Birdsville (QLD), 24 Dec 1972. pic.twitter.com/kWTgCIBGaS
Records broken in towns
We are still waiting for verification on whether Sydney managed to record its hottest temperature ever, but things could get worse by Friday. The heat is set to intensify in Melbourne, which is forecast for 44C in some parts – that would be a new record for the city, too. Furthermore, the following towns and villages have already experienced their warmest day on record:
- Ceduna – 48.9C
- Wudinna – 48.4C
- Minnipa – 47.2C
- Cultana – 47.0C
- Whyalla – 45.6C
No comments: