Australia just recorded its hottest August on record as temperatures soared beyond 40 degrees Celsius. Not only did Australia swelter through its hottest August, but also recorded its second-warmest winter.
As per data released by the Bureau of Meteorology, last month was the hottest August on record with several parts of the continent logging their highest-ever maximum and minimum temperatures.
The bureau added that the average mean temperature across Australia is 3.03 degrees Celsius higher than the long-time average.
In northern Australia, six major climate sites or more observed temperatures higher than 40 degrees with Yampi Sound recording a temperature of 41.6 degrees Celsius and Bradshaw-Angallari Valley touching 40 degrees.
However, the increase in temperature has not been restricted to northern Australia. Over in New South Wales, Sydney also recorded its hottest August since 1995 as temperatures touched 30.3 degrees Celsius.
What's Behind The Winter Heat?
In Australia, the winter season lasts from June to August. Since 2023, the continent has been recording warm winters and over the past century, winter temperatures across Australia have risen.
As the Earth gets hotter and the impact of climate change triggers extreme weather events across the globe, Australia is no exception.
The climate in Australia is influenced by three major climate patterns -
Changes in Indian Ocean temperatures, Changes in the belt of wind that moves between Australia and Antarctica
Changes in Pacific weather - El Nino and La Nina.
And all three of these phenomena have been impacted by human-induced climate change.
As Australia now transforms from winter into spring, the temperatures are expected to remain warmer to much warmer.
Meanwhile, across the globe, record high temperatures have also been recorded in Finland, Shanghai and Japan. Furthermore, reports of rain in the Sahara Desert have also surfaced. The Sahara Desert, which is one of the driest places on the planet, is expected to experience a spell of rain.
