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Extreme heat and intense bushfires have devastated the parched landscape of Western Australia. With temperatures expected to persist soaring above 40C (104F) over the coming days, a major alert for extreme heat has been declared across a large portion of the southwestern region.

Widespread Extreme Heat Warnings Throughout the Region

These conditions come after recent bushfires in New South Wales, which resulted in the loss of properties and fatalities. Severe heatwave warnings have additionally been activated for the coming days in areas within South Australia and NSW, as a ridge of high pressure moves eastward, bringing blazing heat to a broad swath of the region.

The mix of tinder-dry land and unbroken high temperatures creates a volatile scenario for firefighters.

Worldwide Weather Extremes Cause Chaos

Elsewhere, a major city was plunged into blackout last week after powerful gusts damaged the city’s electrical network, with falling trees knocking out electricity cables. The weather conditions also caused significant travel disruption at a major airport, where numerous flights were grounded. Severe damage to electrical infrastructure is anticipated to cause ongoing issues as service providers scramble to restore power to over 1 million residents.

Atypical Fog Blankets Sunny Region

At the same time, a region famed for its sunny weather and abundant sunlight has endured one of its grayest and most overcast periods on record. A particular form of fog, which typically lingers for only a few days, has been unusually extensive and long-lasting this year, keeping temperatures at a key transport hub below 8C for more than a week – the longest such streak in over three decades. The prolonged fog has been driven by unprecedented autumn rainfall that left the ground waterlogged.

• Primary Driver: Exceptional autumn rainfall soaked the soil.
• Outcome: Extended and dense fog formation.
• Effect: Thermal readings stayed unseasonably low for an lengthy period.

Severe Weather Delivers Snow to Holiday Islands

And in another country, a weather system has ushered in intense rainfall, strong gales and even snowfall to a group of islands – weather many would not connect with this favored tourist spot. While snow is not unheard of at higher ground, the system delivered some of the deepest accumulations in 2016 to a national park, compelling its closure.

In addition to the snow, strong winds from the north swept across the island chain, with gusts exceeding 50mph observed on multiple locations. The effect of the storm is forecast to ease this week with more typical weather taking hold.