The intensifying heat hitting Australia is in keeping with the predictions of the latest UN climate report, which confirmed that Australia had already warmed faster than other parts of the world and that the frequency of heatwaves will increase 85 per cent with warming of 1.5 and 2 degrees.
Australia's climate has warmed since national records began in 1910. Australia's average temperature has increased on average by 1.44 ± 0.24 °C since national records began in 1910. Since 1950, every decade has been warmer than the decade before.
The late-20th century warming has been largely attributed to the increased greenhouse effect. According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), 80% of the land receives less than 600 mm (24 in) of rainfall annually and 50% has even less than 300 mm (12 in).
Temperatures and heatwaves
The ongoing influence of this year's negative IOD and La Niña will decrease the likelihood of extremely hot days during spring and early summer. However, heatwaves are more likely in southern Australia during La Niña seasons, but they are generally not as intense as El Niño years.
Daytime temperatures are likely to be cooler than average in the south-east but warmer than average along the tropical coast. Nights are likely to be warm for most of the state. The main risks in Queensland this summer are likely to come from heavy rain, storms and tropical cyclones.
Australia could swing from three years of La Niña to hot and dry El Niño in 2023. Australia could swing from three years of above-average rainfall to one of the hottest, driest El Niño periods on record, as models show an increasing likelihood the climate driver may form in the Pacific in 2023.
“We may not have extreme heat days compared to some recent years”, they state, although tempering this with the warning that heatwaves may last longer, be warmer overnight, and be more humid, especially in the south.
This is mainly due to Melbourne's geographical location. This temperature differential is most pronounced in the spring and summer months and can cause strong cold fronts to form.
The hottest places
On 13 January the BoM added three more. The temperature reached 50.7C at Onslow airport in the Pilbara in Western Australia, equalling the all-time high set 62 years earlier at Oodnadatta airport in South Australia. Roebourne and Mardie, also in the Pilbara, reached 50.5C on the same day.
A record-breaking wintry cold snap has resulted in a summer snowfall in parts of Australia's south-east. Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra are bearing the brunt of the shivering temperatures, which were brought on by a cold air mass moving north from the Southern Ocean.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Australia is 50.7 °C (123.3 °F), which was recorded on 2 January 1960 at Oodnadatta, South Australia and 13 January 2022 at Onslow, Western Australia. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Australia is −23.0 °C (−9.4 °F), at Charlotte Pass, New South Wales, on 29 June 1994.
Definitely the US winters are colder than Australia and Australia is closer to the equator so there are more warmer areas in summer and winter in Australia than the US. So on average Australia is hotter but Florida is hotter than Tasmania.
The higher warming rate is attributed in part to Australia's location near the South Pole. Polar areas experience faster warming compared to areas near the equator, mainly because of a loss of sea ice.
5) with no action to reduce emissions, then average summer temperatures could rise by 1.4C – 2.7C by about 2050, with increases in most capital cities of about 2C. Sydney would be the most impacted area with an average 2.2C rise.
The warming will likely cause a number of key trends:
Accelerated sea level rise and worsening coastal erosion. Increased weather intensity including Category 6 cyclones. More frequent and extreme bushfires. A greater chance of extreme flood events.
Mali is the hottest country in the world, with an average yearly temperature of 83.89°F (28.83°C). Located in West Africa, Mali actually shares borders with both Burkina Faso and Senegal, which follow it on the list.
But with its "consistently hot footprint over a large area," says Mildrexler, who was not involved in the present study, "the Lut Desert has really emerged as the hottest place on Earth."
Australia is currently the hottest country in the world, taking nine of the top ten spots for global towns and cities in the last 24 hours. Eucla in Western Australia was the hottest place on earth on Tuesday, hitting a high of 45.6C.
In 2006, a snowstorm hit the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales and Victoria, arriving on Christmas morning and bringing nearly 12 in (30 cm) of snow in higher areas.
That's because Australian homes are closer to tents than insulated eco-buildings. As winter sets in, and temperatures plummet, it can sometimes feel as cold inside as it does outside. The reason for this is the poor thermal performance of houses in Australia.
31 August 1849 – A snowstorm blankets Melbourne (with accumulation on the streets). 1863 – A major flood puts Port Melbourne underwater leaving thousands homeless across the city and drowning one man at Princes Bridge.
The hottest months in Australia are therefore December, January and February. In these months, you might like to head south to escape the heat.
Heat index temperatures will hit 125°F (52°C) at least once a year in a band stretching from Texas to Wisconsin, researchers say.
Australia is enormous, with a wide range of climates. The northern states are typically warm year-round, while the southern states have cooler winters. December to February is summer; March to May is autumn; June to August is winter; and September to November is spring. To compare all resorts in Australia, click here.