Some areas of southeast Australia have been experiencing temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for four days in a row now
With 10 to 14 C (24 F) above the average for this time of year, some areas of New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria have been battling an extreme heat wave. Severe fire warnings have also been issued by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology for these areas.
According to CNN meteorologist Gene Norman the cause of the heat wave seems to be a high pressure dome settling in over the continent in the last few days. Meanwhile, meteorologist Brandon Miller informed that Australia issued an El Nino alert over the Pacific Ocean.
“El Nino, which is characterized by a warming of the tropical waters in the Pacific Ocean, brings warmer and drier conditions to much of Australia, especially in the southeast,” he stated.
Summer starts in December in Australia and January is usually the hottest month, but it seems this early heat wave might be announcing an even hotter January than 2018. When the hottest temperatures in nearly 80 years have been registered, at 47.3 C (117.14 F).
Source: cnn.com
