2014 Starts with Bang. Extreme Weather and Climate Change

As happened in January last year, much of Australia has been enduring a sweltering heatwave over the first days of 2014, with temperatures in excess of 40°C in many areas. Meanwhile 2013 has been confirmed as the country’s hottest year on record.

LONDON, 5 January – It’s official – Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology says 2013 ranked as the country’s warmest year since records began more than a century ago, with the annual national mean temperature 1.2°C above the average.

Along the way, several new temperature records were set: the summer was the warmest on record as was Australia’s spring, while winter was ranked third in the historical warming stakes.

“The past year was characterized by persistent and widespread warmth”, says the Bureau.

“Mean temperatures across Australia have generally been well above average since September 2012. Long periods of warmer than average days have been common, with a distinct lack of cold weather.”

January 7th last year ranks as the hottest single day on record across the country, when the national daily average maximum temperature reached 40.3°C.

Later that month Sydney — usually relatively cool compared with inland areas and cities such as Darwin in the Northern Territory – smashed its own temperature record with the mercury climbing to 45.8°C.  Meanwhile 31 August was the warmest winter day on record across the country.

Denying climate reality

The impact of the warming weather has been clear: though rainfall was above average in some areas and below in others, high temperatures meant devastating bush fires caught hold in many regions over the past 12 months. There were also cyclones and fierce floods with lives lost, homes destroyed and many millions of dollars of damage caused.

The Bureau of Meteorology says that overall Australia’s temperatures have gone up by 1°C over the last century, with the majority of warming occurring since 1950. It says Australia has experienced just one cooler than average year – 2011 — over the last decade: the 10-year mean temperature for 2004-2013 was 0.5°C above average.

http://climatecrocks.com/2014/01/05/2014-starts-with-bang-extreme-weather-and-climate-change/