Wildfires Ravage Western Australia as Temperatures Skyrocket

Extreme heat and raging bushfires have swept through the parched landscape of Western Australia. As mercury levels forecast to continue soaring above 40C (104F) over the next few days, a severe heatwave warning has been declared across much of the south-west.

Broad Extreme Heat Warnings Across the Region

These conditions follow recent fires in another state, which resulted in the loss of properties and fatalities. Intense heat alerts have also been activated for later this week in parts of South Australia and NSW, as a ridge of atmospheric pressure shifts to the east, delivering blazing heat to a broad swath of the region.

The mix of extremely dry vegetation and unbroken high temperatures presents a volatile situation for firefighters.

Worldwide Climatic Events Trigger Disruption

Elsewhere, a metropolis was plunged into blackout recently after strong gusts compromised the city’s electrical network, with falling trees knocking out electricity cables. The stormy weather also caused major travel disruption at a key airport, where hundreds of flights were cancelled. Severe impact on electrical infrastructure is anticipated to create further issues as service providers scramble to restore power to over 1 million inhabitants.

Atypical Fog Blankets Sunny Region

Meanwhile, a valley famed for its sunny weather and abundant sunlight has endured one of its dullest and most overcast weeks on recorded history. A specific type of fog, which typically lasts for only a few days, has been remarkably extensive and persistent this year, keeping the mercury at a key transport hub below 8C for more than a week – the longest such streak in more than three decades. The extended haze has been fuelled by exceptional fall precipitation that left the ground saturated.

• Primary Driver: Record fall rains saturated the ground.
• Result: Prolonged and dense fog formation.
• Effect: Thermal readings stayed unseasonably low for an extended period.

Storm Delivers Snow to Tourist Destination

Turning to Spain, a weather system has brought intense rainfall, strong gales and even snow to a group of islands – weather many would not associate with this favored tourist spot. While wintry precipitation is not unknown at higher ground, the storm delivered some of the deepest accumulations in 2016 to a protected area, forcing its closure.

Alongside the snow, strong northerly winds swept across the island chain, with gusts reaching 50mph recorded on multiple islands. The influence of the weather event is expected to diminish this week with more typical conditions returning.