Extreme Heat Wave in Western Australia Increases Bushfire Risk

The Bureau of Meteorology has indicated that parts of Western Australia are experiencing an extreme heat wave today, Saturday, which heightens the risk of bushfires in the vast state. The Bureau issued a "severe heat wave warning" today in Australia's largest state, cautioning that temperatures there could reach forty degrees Celsius by the beginning of the week. In the mining town of Baralaba in Pilbara, approximately 1,500 kilometers north of the state capital Perth, the maximum temperature is expected to reach 47 degrees Celsius today, which is over six degrees above the average maximum for January, according to forecasting data. The temperature was recorded at 42.7 degrees Celsius at 11:00 AM. The hot weather today increases the risk of bushfires in an already severe fire season due to the climatic El Niño phenomenon, which is typically associated with extreme weather, including bushfires, cyclones, and drought. The last two fire seasons in Australia have been quiet compared to what was termed the "Black Summer" of 2019-2020, which saw bushfires that destroyed an area the size of Turkey, killed 33 people, and impacted three billion animals, along with a vast number of invertebrates.