2LT International News

SYDNEY, Australia – This week, Australia is sizzling through extreme weather and experiencing a record-breaking heatwave. Temperatures reached record highs, and Australia’s emergency services were on high alert for possible bushfires.

Large parts of the country are affected. The conditions spanned the southern parts of 4 states as well as the Northern Territory.

The mercury has gone up to 16 degrees Celsius higher than usual in southern Australia. Numerous towns have set new December records according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

In Sydney, many people flocked to beaches to cool down. The state’s health service also issued a warning that poor quality air as the ozone levels rise with the hot weather.

High temperatures aren’t unusual in Australia in its dry southern hemisphere summer. Bushfires are also a common occurrence. However, climate change pushes up the sea and land temperatures, leading to more extreme hot weather and worse fire seasons.