Australia: Sickly Canary in Planet Coalmine

205 Weather records broken in 90 days: Climate Council of Australia

Excerpts from “ANGRY SUMMER 2016/17: CLIMATE CHANGE SUPER-CHARGING EXTREME WEATHER”

The Australian summer of 2016/17 marked the return of the Angry Summer with record-breaking heat especially in the east of the nation. The Angry Summer was characterised [sic] by intense heatwaves, hot days and bushfires in central and eastern Australia, while heavy rainfall and flooding affected the west of the country.

Key Findings:

• More than 205 records were broken across Australia in 90 days.
• New South Wales (NSW) experienced its hottest state-wide mean temperature on record with temperatures 2.57°C above average.
• The 2016/17 extreme summer heat in NSW was at least 50 times more likely to occur due to climate change.