EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
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Extreme conditions continue as searing heat wave moves across Australia
Temperature records shattered again in central, western and north-west Queensland, with 40+ degrees (Celsius) recorded in multiple locations on Thursday.
“It is unusually hot. It’s at least 15 degrees above the average up there at the moment and those are pretty unusual temperatures,” said a weatherman at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
“Century Mine in the far north-west of the state got up to 44.6 today, Camooweal 45.5, a new January record, the Monument Airport 45.9, another January record,” said a senior weatherman at BOM.
“Bedourie police station [recorded] 47.3 [degrees Celsius], which is an annual extreme for them, and Birdsville got up to 48.6 [degrees Celsius.]”
“Our temperatures have been near record, the highest temperature we had was at Moomba at 49.3 degrees but a lot of centres up there are pushing up around that 50 mark,” said another official at BOM.
“It is unusually hot. It’s at least 15 degrees above the average up there at the moment and those are pretty unusual temperatures.”
In the Northern Territory, top temperatures at Alice Springs have remained above 43ºC since the New Year, several record broken already.
Meantime, highest-ever temperature of 45.4ºC was recorded at Tennant Creek airport on Thursday, breaking the previous record set on January 25, 2013 by 1.2ºC, said a report.
Australia’s Drought Spells Absolute Disaster
The heat wave has brought more misery for drought-hit cattle farmers who have been slaughtering livestock as Australia sweltered through the hottest year on record in 2013, said a report.
“Water supplies are fast diminishing and whatever feed supplies that were left are cooking off to the point where there won’t be any left,” said Charles Burke, chief executive of Agforce, a Queensland cattle industry group.
“This drought is shaping to be an absolute disaster.”
Australia is the third largest beef exporter in the world after India and Brazil, followed by the US, NZ, EU-27, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico and Belarus (Source: USDA).
Hottest Year Since Records Began in 1910
Australia experienced its hottest year in 2013 since records began more than a 100 years ago, said BOM on Friday. The continent recorded average temperatures of 1.2ºC above the long-term average of 21.8 degree Celsius, shattering the previous record set in 2005.
The authorities have issued multiple health warnings on Friday for several major cities as fire crews continued to control bushfires across the continent.
Australian PM May Live to Regret…
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott abolished the country’s Climate Change Commission in September, denying that climate change was responsible for bushfires across New South Wales state in October.
Ex-tropical cyclone Christine
South Australia’s far north also experienced near-record temperatures on Thursday, as ex-tropical cyclone Christine moved across the state.
Fire Earth 