Australia Just Experienced Its Hottest Day on Record
- Country’s maximum average temperature reached record Tuesday
- Air conditioners push up power use on Victoria’s stressed grid
Firefighters work to extinguish a bushfire in Dargan near Sydney, on Dec. 18. Firefighters are bracing for more difficult conditions later in the week.
Photographer: Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images
Australia recorded its hottest day on record as the country’s populated eastern seaboard grapples with smoke from devastating bushfires, while the rush to the relief of air conditioning puts pressure on a vulnerable power grid.
The average maximum temperature across the country reached 40.9 Celsius (105.6 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, beating the previous record of 40.3 Celsius on Jan. 7, 2013, according to the country’s weather bureau. The worst of the heat came across the continent’s interior, with vast swathes of territory experiencing severe heatwave conditions.