Australia wrapped up its winter with weather that felt a lot more like spring or summer. The country recorded its hottest winter temperature during a record warm August.
What’s happening?
The temperature soared to 107 degrees at the end of August in Yampi Sound, on the northwest coast of Australia. It wasn’t just daytime temperatures setting records; overnight minimum temperatures also reached record-warm levels. Sydney had a streak of 15 consecutive nights with a low above 50 degrees during August.
“It feels really pleasant where most of us live … and a lot of us have dropped off the Ugg boots and winter doonas, but it isn’t normal for this time of year,” said Australian National University Professor Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, per the Guardian. “We’ve certainly seen weather systems like this before; in fact, they’re so common during summer. It’s just the timing and the intensity that is rare. The lengthening of spring and summer is only going to intensify with climate change.”
Every decade has been warmer than the previous decade since 1950 in Australia. “Warming is observed across Australia in all months with both day and night‑time temperatures increasing,” according to an analysis of Australian climate trends. “The study says this shift “is accompanied by more extreme nationally averaged daily heat events across all months.”
Why is record warmth during Australia’s winter important?
The problem is that record-warm temperatures, like those seen during Australia’s winter, are becoming more common in more seasons and places worldwide. July was Earth’s hottest month on record and the 14th month in a row with record-high global temperatures. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, August stretched that streak to 15 consecutive months of record-high global temperatures. The world just experienced its hottest August in the 175-year record.
What’s being done about a warming Australia?
Australia, along with the rest of Earth, is overheating. Advances in technology offer hope that we can cool off our planet. A recent significant breakthrough in sustainable energy-producing green hydrogen could revolutionize renewable energy production. Scientists at Oxford have announced a remarkable new approach that uses an ultra-thin material to generate solar power without traditional panels. They say the material provides 27% energy efficiency in converting sunlight into energy. A breakthrough with extended-range battery technology that transforms waste energy into power could revolutionize power generation.
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Using your voice as an advocate to fight for the future of our planet is a way to make a difference by drawing attention to the problems our warming world is causing. Understanding the problem by exploring critical climate issues and using that knowledge to help choose pro-climate candidates can have a significant impact.
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