Too hot for life? - Australia’s heatwave

AUSTRALIA is in the grip of a relentless and record-setting heatwave that is probably beyond the comprehension of anyone who has spent the majority of their life living in a temperate European climate.

Parts of South Australia and Victoria reached 46°C, while New South Wales and Queensland went above 47°C. The glaring sun can cause sunburn so very quickly that people have been urged to stay indoors. This precaution has brought its own difficulties, as the exceptional demand for electricity for air conditioning systems has led to power cuts.

Australian scientists predict that this weather will, in less than half a century, become the new normal. It may be difficult, on a muggy February morning, to imagine what change on that scale might mean for our temperate climate.