Record-breaking heat-wave strikes in Australia

[객원 에디터 5기 / 이석현 기자] Southern Australia has recorded significantly rising temperatures in the past month that averaged over 35 degrees celsius—10 degrees more than the climatological average (the 30-year average of a weather variable for a given time of the year). Many weather stations across southern and western Australia saw temperatures of over 40 degrees celsius, with Eucla and the Red Rock Points recording their highest temperature of 46.8 degrees on the 22nd of February. 

Meteorologists have warned of severe temperatures over the next few days as a disastrous heat wave moves from inland Western Australia to the east. Residents in New South Wales are going to face the state’s hottest conditions in over a year and a half, with hundreds set to flock to the beaches to cool down. Indeed, Osborne, a meteorologist at Sky News Weather, confirmed that New South Wales residents could experience the hottest day ever recorded, and western Sydney has been projected to reach a stunning 38 degrees celsius. 

As a result, many areas of the west coast have seen high sea temperatures throughout the month of February that has risen about 1 to 2 degrees above normal which is around 25.7 degrees from 23.7 degrees. In turn, NSW is recording one of its worst summers for drownings on record, with twenty-three fatal coastal drownings and 16 properties having been engulfed in a bushfire in Port Lincoln in South Australia on Thursday afternoon. 

As a consequence of these rising temperatures, Australia has been facing a variety of difficulties within the country. For example, the time of drought will increase as well as extreme rainfall events become more intense. Thus people should be more aware of climate change so that they will not become the next victim of the heat. If this continues to happen throughout the world, we would face multiple problems such as rising sea levels which will have many knock-on effects.

Sources: The Guardian, News.com.au