Parts of Western Australia were hit by an “extreme” heatwave this Saturday (20th), increasing the risk of bushfires in the vast state, according to the Australian Weather Service.
The warning of “extreme heat wave”.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued an “extreme heatwave” warning on Saturday for the remote Pilbara and Gascoyne areas of Australia's largest state. He warned that temperatures in these locations could reach 40 degrees Celsius over the weekend.
Conditions in Paraburdoo
In the Pilbara mining town of Paraburdoo, about 1,500 km north of the state capital Perth, the maximum temperature forecast for Saturday was 47 degrees Celsius. According to the local weather service, that is more than six degrees higher than the average January high.
Forest fire risks
Saturday's hot weather increases the risk of wildfires in a season of high fire risk and an El Niño weather pattern that typically involves extreme events such as wildfires, hurricanes and droughts.
“Very hot and dry conditions combined with fresh southerly winds and a cool and strong west to southwest sea breeze will result in increased fire danger on Saturday,” said the website of the weather service, which covers parts of the Pilbara.
Effects of heat waves
The warning comes after hundreds of firefighters struggled to control an outofcontrol blaze near Perth as temperatures soared earlier this month, prompting evacuations.
In a global context
In the global context, Russian lawmakers have prepared a bill that would allow the confiscation of money and property from people who “deliberately spread false information” about the country's armed forces, a senior parliament member said on Saturday.
Therefore, the extreme heatwave in Australia not only poses an immediate threat to life and property, but is also a reminder that climate change and global change continue to pose significant and diverse threats around the world.