An unprecedented heatwave has engulfed Australia, with towns in Queensland and Western Australia on track to record their hottest January ever. The extreme temperatures, driven by low rainfall and a delayed monsoon, have created an oppressive and dangerous climate across multiple states, prompting warnings and raising concerns about the long-term effects of climate change.
Blistering January heat is set to smash records in towns across Queensland and Western Australia amid a historically hot summer for the Outback. Vast swathes of central Australia are on track to break summer heat records after meagre rainfall and the record late arrival of the Australia n Monsoon made for an oppressive cocktail of prolonged heat in January.
Persistent heatwaves, below average rainfall and the record late arrival of the Australian monsoon has made for an oppressive cocktail of prolonged heat spanning multiple states in January this year. Heatwave warnings have been an ever-present feature from east to west in recent weeks, making for an almost unliveable January in parts of Outback Australia. You may be quick to say'but that’s just Summer for you' – but believe me, the numbers are in and it’s painting a picture far beyond the usual heatwaves which often bake our nation at this time of year. This has not been a case of one day or a handful of hot days, but rather never-ending high temperatures, day in, and day out for the entire month. Many towns spanning from inland Western Australia into western Queensland are on track to record their hottest January on record – some have been keeping weather data for over 100 years. January 2025 has been the warmest on record for parts of outback Western Australia and Queensland. Picture: Sky News AustraliaOn January 20, Geraldton set a new heat record, rising to 49.3C – a whopping 16C above average and the seventh highest temperature ever recorded in the state during January. Parts of the Interior, Goldfields, Central Wheatbelt, Great Southern, Southwest and South Coast are likely to record their warmest January on record, based on the average temperatures across the month. It’s not just the temperature records breaking – it’s the margins by which the records are toppling – up to 5C above the average in some regions – easily eclipsing previous records• Kalgoorlie, with a mean maximum temperature of 37.5C – the highest in all 128 years of weather data for the town.• Esperance with a mean minimum temperature of 16.4C and a with a mean maximum temperature of 31.1C - data to 1950 • Corrigin with a mean minimum temperature of 17.8C and a with a mean maximum temperature of 37.0C - data to 1910 Northern TerritoryAlice Springs has now recorded 11 days in a row over 40C – more than four degrees above normal for this month.And forecast suggest this could stretch to 16 days by next Monday. Persistent heatwaves, below average rainfall and the record late arrival of the Australian Monsoon has made for an oppressive cocktail of prolonged heat spanning multiple states in January this year. Picture: AP/Jacques Brinon A drier than usual start to the year in northwest Queensland has led to record-challenging heat. Picture: Sky News AustraliaIt is usually the wettest month of the year in Queensland’s northwest and gulf country, due to the monsoon and high cyclone activity. Both have proven elusive so far this wet season, with plenty of sunshine replacing the usual presence of cloud and heavy rain, and it has therefore been unbearably hot.February is set to begin much like this one - with extreme heat and heatwave warnings in effect spanning multiple states as a hot dry airmass feeds from northwest WA into the southeast. Picture: Sky News Australia• Mount Isa at 41.3C, beating the previous record of 40.7 set in 1971Weather records have been kept at the town since 1886.February is set to begin much like this one - with extreme heat and heatwave warnings in effect spanning multiple states as a hot dry airmass feeds from northwest WA into the south-east. Parts of South Australia and Victoria will once again be under fire weather and heatwave warnings this weekend with temperatures in the high 30’s. Picture: Sky News Australia Temperatures this weekend could near record levels of 47 to 49C in outback regions of WA, continuing into Monday. Parts of South Australia and Victoria will once again be under fire weather and heatwave warnings this weekend with temperatures in the high 30’s. With rain outlooks now favouring above average rain across northern Australia in the coming fortnight, this is likely to ease the widespread extreme heat to some degree later in February.For the latest weather and climate news across the country and the world, tune in to Sky News Weather channel 601 on Foxtel or watch on Flash
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