Temperatures of 50°C or higher have been recorded in at least two locations in the northwest of Western Australia this Thursday, January 13, 2022, with a high of 50.5°C at Roebourne Airport.
For interest, Australia's highest official temperature is 50.7°C at Oodnadatta in South Australia on 2 January 1960 and the last 50 degree temperature in the country was 50.5°C at Mardie Station in Western Australia on 19 February 1998.
Three major economic centres are set to become uninhabitable by the end of the century, with global temperatures on track to warm by 2.7C. Darwin, Broome and Port Hedland are predicted to be pushed outside the “human climate niche” — that is, the temperature and humidity conditions in which humans can survive.
The highest maximum temperature was recorded as 50.7 °C (123.3 °F) at Oodnadatta on 2 January 1960, which is the highest official temperature recorded in Australia. The lowest minimum temperature was −8.0 °C (17.6 °F) at Yongala on 20 July 1976.
The mobile-friendly MyClimate 2050 tool shows almost all areas across Australia will experience longer and hotter summers, with temperatures increasing by an average of 2.32°C.
The summer of 2012–13 will go down as Australia's hottest on record, and January 2013 as the nation's hottest month. Mean temperatures for the summer were 1.11 °C above normal, 0.13 °C above the previous record set in 1997–98. High temperatures covered almost the entire country.
Even if the Paris agreement to limit the global temperature rise to below 2C is met, summer heatwaves in major Australian cities are likely to reach highs of 50C by 2040, a study published on Wednesday warns.
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.
While human body cells start to die anywhere 46-60 degrees, temperatures of around 50 degrees is when most irreversible damage to cells starts. If the human body is unable to cool itself enough, it leads to heat cramps, heat exhaustion and even heatstroke or sunstroke.
The report stated there was “very high confidence” that temperatures would rise across Australia throughout the century, with the average annual temperature set to be up to 1.3C warmer in 2030 compared with the average experienced between 1986 and 2005.
Seasons Change
Instead of winter, the researchers believe Australians will experience spring, autumn, and a longer season they're calling "new summer." During this new season, temperatures will consistently peak above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for sustained periods of time, based on predictions.
1. Marble Bar, Western Australia. Marble Bar claims to be the hottest town in Australia. It holds the record for the highest average monthly maximum temperature, which is 41.5°C in December.
Australia's warmest year on record was 2019. The eight years from 2013–20 all rank among the 10 warmest years on record. The long-term warming trend means that most years are now warmer than almost any observed during the 20th century.
Is Australia hotter than India? India is closer to the equator as compared to Australia, and is therefore expected to be hotter. The average temperature in most of the interior regions of India is 90–104 °F. Whereas in Australia the average temperature in summer is 86 °F.
Government related predictions to impact Australia in 2025 include: All Australian citizens now have a single digital ID, which allows them to secure their personal information and easily access government services online. Likelihood: 60%link. All federal government services are now available online.
Innovation and Science Australia's vision for 2030 is that Australia will be counted within the top tier of innovation nations. We will take pride in our global reputation for excellence in science, research and commercialisation. a fair and inclusive society with a high quality of life.
Australia could become a superpower in the global transition to decarbonisation according to the final modelling results of the Pathways to Net Zero report recently released by Net Zero Australia.
Maximum temperatures are expected to be higher than average over most of Australia this winter, particularly during the second half of the season if El Niño and a positive IOD become entrenched.
Future Hot Spots
But climate models tell us certain regions are likely to exceed those temperatures in the next 30-to-50 years. The most vulnerable areas include South Asia, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea by around 2050; and Eastern China, parts of Southeast Asia, and Brazil by 2070.
While many people have already moved to Tasmania to escape the heat in other states, some doomsday preppers are weighing up the island state as a post-apocalyptic option. Tasmania scored highly in the report in terms of its climate, electricity supply, agricultural resources and population density.
To date, the hottest year on record is a tie between 2016 and 2020.
The eight warmest years on record have now occurred since 2014, the scientists, from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, reported, and 2016 remains the hottest year ever.