Wide areas of Australia experienced the impact of a heat wave again today, which the national meteorological agency stated increases the risk of wildfires during a season when this risk is already heightened due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
The meteorological agency reported that "extreme" heat warnings, the highest level of hazard warning, were issued for the second day in parts of Western Australia, with the scope expanding to include areas in South Australia. "Hazardous" warnings were also issued for regions in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory.
The agency warned that temperatures in two remote areas of Western Australia could exceed 40 degrees Celsius significantly today. The highest recorded temperature in Australia was 50.7 degrees Celsius, registered at Onslow Airport in Pilbara on January 13, 2022.
The agency noted that high temperatures and dryness have increased the risk of wildfires in some areas during the El Niño phenomenon, which is typically associated with extreme events such as wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts. The last two wildfire seasons in Australia have been relatively limited compared to the "Black Summer" of 2019-2020 when wildfires burned areas equivalent to the size of Turkey, resulting in the deaths of 33 people, billions of animals, and trillions of invertebrates.
