Australia clocks second-warmest year on record ahead of weekend heatwave
Last year was the second-hottest year in Australia since records began, with a weekend heatwave set to keep the hot times rolling in early 2025.
Newly released data from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) revealed that Australia's average temperature was 1.46 degrees hotter than the average from 1961-1990.
This is only the second time in 115 years that Australia's yearly temperature has been more than 1.4 degrees above that baseline, meteorologists from Weatherzone said.
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The hottest year on record was 2019, which was 1.51 degrees above that average. Bureau of Meteorology
The hottest year on record was 2019, which was 1.51 degrees above that average.
A heatwave has already helped Western Australia welcome the new year.
Over the coming days, the heat system will gradually move east, hanging over New South Wales and Victoria at the weekend.
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Large parts of Australia recorded their hottest year on record. Bureau of Meteorology
Parts of south-eastern NSW could be hit by severe to extreme heatwave conditions from Saturday to Monday.
Severe or low-intensity conditions are likely to affect most of Victoria and northern Tasmania.
The heatwave is expected to peak on Monday.
According to the BoM, large parts of the county were above their average temperatures last year.
Significant sections of the Western Australian coast, northern SA, and the NSW-Victoria border had their highest-ever temperature last year.
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