Australia’s heatwave over the weekend has hit the Pilbara region in the west of the continent, The Guardian reports.
After peaking at 47.9C on Saturday in the town of Paraburdoo, on Sunday the highest confirmed temperature was 48.3C at Onslow airport on the west coast.
Onslow also holds the record for the highest temperature ever recorded in Australia, reaching 50.7C in January 2022. However, new temperature records are possible, with the heatwave expected to continue on Monday and Tuesday, with daytime highs of 50-51C possible in the region.
Heavy torrential rain has also hit parts of Australia’s Northern Territory due to an area of low pressure that has been hanging over the region for the past week. More than 100mm of rain has fallen daily in the state since 13 January, including an impressive 334.8mm in Port Keats on 15 January.
Some areas received much more rainfall than usual in January, especially in the central parts of the state. The town of Tennant Creek, which received the highest rainfall of 110mm on Saturday, has received 290mm since the new year, compared to the usual 50-100mm for the whole of January.
The flooding has blocked roads and railways and supermarkets in remote areas have been forced to impose restrictions on the sale of some products as fresh supplies run out. The town of Kalkarinji has been severely flooded, with power, water and mobile phone services cut off, while artefacts and artwork at the local Aboriginal cultural centre have been moved to safety.
