If you have heard anything about the Australian Open, even if you don't follow tennis, you've probably heard about how horrifically hot it is. The article below (with some quoted parts after) describes what it was like just before the tournament started. They note prophetically that things in Melbourne might get worse -- which they did, as Melbourne is where the Australian Open is being played.
Weather records on the high side don't prove climate change, just as temperature records on the low side don't disprove it. But records this high, this strong, in a normally hot country in summer --- well, you sit up and take notice, particularly if they fit the pattern that is being documented in detail by climate science.
Australia's 2014 Heat Wave Picks Up Where 2013 Left Off
"During the most recent heat wave, dozens more records were set, including some by large margins. Narrabri, located about 320 miles northwest of Sydney, saw the thermometer hit an eye-popping 118°F on January 3. That surpassed the previous record by 6.5°F, which is the largest margin for an all-time high temperature record at an Australian weather station with 40 or more years of data. In Gunnedah Research Center, located 265 miles northwest of Sydney, temperatures rose to 114.6°F. That topped the previous high by 5°F. The station has records going back 76 years and is part of Australia’s long-term climate network."As Crocodile Dundee might say, "Now THAT'S a heat wave."
Inspired by our cold U.S temperatures recently, I made this little graphic. I posted it on Twitter first. Something to ponder.
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