Sydney, Aug 27: A remote region in northwestern Australia has set a new all-time national record for the highest winter temperature, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). The weather station at Yampi Sound, located approximately 2,000 km north of Perth in Western Australia (WA), recorded a maximum temperature of 41.6 degrees Celsius on Monday afternoon.
This new record surpasses the previous winter temperature high of 41.2 degrees Celsius, which was set in the nearby town of West Roebuck on August 23, 2020. The BoM highlighted that numerous locations across Australia have experienced record-breaking winter temperatures due to unusually hot weather, with maximum temperatures ranging from 5 to 16 degrees Celsius above the August average across the continent.
The BoM attributed the exceptional heat to persistent areas of high pressure over central and northern Australia throughout August. These high-pressure systems have resulted in clear skies and consistent daytime heating from the sun over a broad region. Normally, rainbands, clouds, or cold fronts would clear away the hot air, but instead, the warm air has stagnated, leading to the build-up of a hot airmass.
“The heat is expected to persist through central and northern parts of Australia until at least next week,” the BoM stated.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that in Queensland, the rural town of Birdsville recorded a maximum temperature of 38.4°C on Monday, just 0.1°C shy of the state’s winter temperature record. Meanwhile, Oodnadatta, located in the outback of South Australia (SA), reached 39.4°C on Saturday, surpassing the state’s previous highest winter temperature by three degrees.
The unprecedented temperatures reflect broader climatic trends and contribute to ongoing discussions about the impacts of climate change on weather patterns.