The landmark Twelve Apostles in Victoria, Australia, home to the heat wave of the century. Photo: Shutterstock
It has definitely been an interesting year, in many ways, and the weather is one of them. Although some would say that they are used to the heat, Australians were feeling it in 2013 – down under’s hottest year in a century.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology says that “2013 was Australia’s warmest year since records began in 1910.”
The heat also helped fuel incredibly dangerous brush fires in October that lasted weeks. Over 60 fires claimed well over 100 homes and a 1,000 mile strip of New South Wales. As the the calendar flipped over, Australia was poised to set some records, and not the good kind.
Oz experienced a record-breaking heat wave during the New Year. January 2nd brought temperatures that reached as high as 54 degrees Celsius (129 degrees Fahrenheit) in Western Australia. Thirty-four data sites set maximum temperature records, with 15 percent of NSW and 10 percent of Queensland setting records.
The Sydney Morning Herald quotes Brett Dutschke, senior meteorologist with Weatherzone as saying, “For some places, particularly western Queensland, it’ll be the most intense heat wave for some parts of the state in more than 50 years.”
Other parts of the country, such as Melbourne, were immune to the aggressive heat wave and experienced largely normal temperatures.
By the 5th of January the heatwave had passed and WA cooled down. Everyone went back celebrating Mick’s Title win as Mick, Joel and The Mad Hueys seek to save Kirra from the clutch of politics.
