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Extreme heat and intense wildfires have swept through the parched landscape of Western Australia. As temperatures expected to continue soaring above 40C (104F) over the coming days, a major heatwave warning has been declared across much of the south-west.

Widespread Extreme Heat Alerts Throughout the Region

This situation follow recent bushfires in another state, which resulted in the destruction of homes and loss of life. Severe heatwave warnings have also been activated for later this week in areas within SA and New South Wales, as a system of atmospheric pressure moves to the east, delivering intense heat to a broad swath of the region.

The mix of extremely dry land and relentless heat creates a dangerous situation for firefighters.

Global Climatic Events Trigger Disruption

In another part of the world, a major city was left in darkness last week after strong winds compromised the city’s electrical network, with toppled trees knocking out electricity cables. The weather conditions also led to significant travel disruption at a major airport, where hundreds of flights were grounded. Severe impact on power systems is expected to create ongoing issues as utility companies scramble to reconnect electricity to over 1 million inhabitants.

Atypical Fog Covers Sunny Region

At the same time, a valley known for its clear skies and abundant sunshine has endured one of its grayest and foggiest periods on record. A specific type of fog, which usually lasts for only a few days, has been unusually extensive and persistent this year, keeping the mercury at a key transport hub under 8C for more than a week – the longest such streak in over three decades. The prolonged haze has been fuelled by unprecedented autumn rainfall that left soils saturated.

• Primary Driver: Record autumn rainfall saturated the soil.
• Result: Prolonged and thick mist development.
• Impact: Temperatures stayed below average for an extended period.

Severe Weather Brings Snow to Tourist Islands

Turning to another country, a weather system has brought heavy rainfall, strong gales and even snow to a group of islands – weather many would not connect with this favored tourist spot. While wintry precipitation is not unheard of at elevated areas, the storm brought some of the heaviest snow depths since 2016 to a protected area, forcing its temporary shutdown.

Alongside the snow, strong winds from the north swept across the island chain, with wind gusts exceeding 50mph observed on multiple locations. The influence of the storm is forecast to diminish this week with more typical conditions taking hold.