Australia is reaching temperatures of 46.4°C – and it’s going to get even hotter
While Brits are deciding whether to wear one jumper or two, the Aussies are making every effort to stay cool.
Temperatures are reaching unfathomable highs of 46.4°C Down Under after the mercury dropped as low as -12.5°C overnight in parts of the UK.
Thousands have hit beaches in Sydney to cool off with temperatures expected to reach a max of 40°C on Saturday.
Marble Bar, a town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, on Tuesday saw temperatures of up to 46.4°C, according to Ogimet.
Meanwhile Learmonth Airport and Leonora Aero, near Western Australia’s North West Cape, reached 46.2°C.
Leonora Leinster Aerodrome AWS and Lavertown AWS respectively recorded temperatures of 45.8°C and 45.7°C.
This means Australia has become the hottest place on Earth right now.
But the Bureau of Meteorology has said these temperatures could last until Friday, warning they could be the worst since the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/20.
Around 3,000 soldiers were brought in after three states declared emergencies over the scorching temperatures as bushfires burned dangerously out of control along Australia’s east coast.
Temperatures soared past 48°C with 50mph winds fanning the flames of the fires.
At least 23 people died following three months of fires that summer.
Officially becoming the hottest country on the planet after Tuesday’s heat, Western Australia took out the remaining 10 spots in the maximum temperature list.
Meteorologist Angus Hines warned sweltering temperatures will continue.
He said: ‘It will be an absolute scorcher on Wednesday, with Victoria and South Australia copping the brunt of the heat.
‘Melbourne and Adelaide are both forecast to reach 41°C.
‘The capital cities may see some cooler weather kick in at some stage in the afternoon as sea breezes develop near the coastline, but inland parts of Victoria, NSW and South Australia will stay extremely hot all through the day.
‘A few areas, in particular northern parts of South Australia, likely to be around 45°C. It will be very hot along the Murray River as well.’
In Melbourne and Canberra, temperatures are expected to spike on Friday.
Mr Hines said: ‘[It will get] very hot through the centre of the country, down into northern parts of Victoria and getting quite hot around Sydney.
‘It’s likely to be 33°C in the CBD and the oceanside suburbs, western parts of Sydney more likely 39 or 40°C.
‘Saturday will be the warmest day of the week in Sydney, 39C this time in the city.
‘And again, those western suburbs looking warmer, potentially 43 or 44°C around the likes of Penrith and Parramatta.’
He expects ‘pretty significant fire weather’ this week, adding: ‘It is also going to be very dry across the country’
‘It’s fairly windy. We don’t have howling winds every day, but fairly breezy enough to really whip up any fires which do happen to start.’
Mr Hines said there is ‘potential for some lightning strikes as well’, which could start fires across south-eastern Australia.
And he warned Aussies to expect stress on the power and infrastructure networks as everyone will be ‘turning on the AC at the same time’.
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