What ’ s your view
Fact or fiction
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A monster heatwave gripped Australia in February , with the mercury climbing well into the high 40 ° C in many locations . The Bureau of Meteorology reported the hottest February day on record at Sydney Airport . It has broken the previous record of 42.6 ° C , set on February 21 , 1980 .
Records were broken all over the country and the Coast was no different
Report at a glance
The Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO play an important role in monitoring , analysing and communicating observed changes in Australia ’ s climate .
This fourth , biennial State of the Climate report draws on the latest monitoring , science and projection information to describe variability and changes in Australia ’ s climate , and how it is likely to change in the future . Observations and climate modelling paint a consistent picture of ongoing , long-term climate change interacting with underlying natural variability .
These changes affect many Australians , particularly changes associated with increases in the frequency or intensity of heat events , fire weather and drought . Australia will need to plan for and adapt to some level of climate change . This report is a synthesis of the science informing our understanding of climate in Australia , and includes new information about Australia ’ s climate of the past , present and future . The science underpinning this report will help inform a range of economic , environmental and social decisionmaking and local vulnerability assessments , by government , industry and communities .
Key points
Australia
• Australia ’ s climate has warmed in both mean surface air temperature and surrounding sea surface temperature by around 1 ° C since 1910 .
• The duration , frequency and intensity of extreme heat events have increased across large parts of Australia .
• There has been an increase in extreme fire weather , and a longer fire season , across large parts of Australia since the 1970s .
• May – July rainfall has reduced by around 19 per cent since 1970 in the southwest of Australia .
• There has been a decline of around 11 per cent since the mid-1990s in the April – October growing season rainfall in the continental southeast .
• Rainfall has increased across parts of northern Australia since the 1970s .
• Oceans around Australia have warmed and ocean acidity levels have increased .
• Sea levels have risen around Australia . The rise in mean sea level amplifies the effects of high tides and storm surges .