Between Jan. 3 and Jan. 6, an amazing 18 different weather stations recorded all-time temperature highs, according to a special climate statement from the country’s Bureau of Meteorology. Those included a mark of 118 degrees in Eucla, Western Australia, and an unheard-of 107 in Hobart, Tasmania, which bills itself as the gateway to Antarctica.
But the bureau’s forecasters believe the worst is yet to come—which is why they’ve added a new color to their official weather maps, for temperatures up to 54 degrees Celsius (129 Fahrenheit). In other words, they believe the country’s all-time high temperature of 123 degrees, set in 1960, is about to go down, and hard.
Terrible fires in Tasmania, and the situation may get worse:
Today marks the beginning of a week-long stretch of sizzling temperatures for the southeast, with experts saying such a prolonged hot spell is unusual for this time of year.
It comes after Australia posted its hottest collective day on record on Monday, with temperatures across the nation reaching an average of 40.33C.
It outstripped the previous record of 40.17C set in 1972.
...The heatwave was so extreme it forced the bureau to earmark new colours to represent up to 54C.
The colours - a deep purple and pink - extends the bureau's temperature range that was previously capped at 50C.
..."The unusual thing is that we're expecting very warm to hot conditions to last almost a week," he said.
"You can get hot days in January but it doesn't happen all that often."
...Today's anticipated maximum of 37C will almost beat the hottest day this summer on December 4, when the mercury hit 37.9C.
...The hottest January day on record in Brisbane was 43.2C at the bureau's old recording station at Spring Hill in 1940.
...But it's nothing compared to the outback town of Birdsville, which is bracing itself for an expected 46C today, rising to 48C by the weekend.
The central west Queensland town, with a population of less than 300, this week broke its own record for consecutive days above a top of 45C. For six days from January 2, the mercury hovered between a maximum of 45.1C and 47.3C - the longest period of temperatures above 45 degrees in Birdsville since records began there in 1892.
...Charleville Police District Inspector Mick Dowie said there were several fires burning across the district, with some cattle stations facing the prospect of losing infrastructure such as fences, sheds, water tanks and feed sheds.
...A huge fire is also burning at Banksia Beach on Bribie Island and was yesterday sending huge smoke plumes into the air across nearly 80km - smoke could be smelt in Brisbane.
..."We cannot stress enough how important it is to avoid all areas of bushfires and use your common sense.
"Out here, some fire fronts are 20 kilometres wide and before you know it you can be in the middle of a bushfire."
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