Parts of Australia are facing near-record temperatures close to 50°C on Tuesday, the 27th, amid a prolonged heat wave hitting the country.
The rural towns of Hopetoun and Walpeup, in the state of Victoria, recorded preliminary highs of 48.9°C, which, if confirmed overnight, would surpass the 2009 records — the year when 173 people died in the bushfires known as Black Saturday.
On Monday, the 26th, parts of the states of New South Wales and South Australia also recorded record temperatures, some exceeding the summer records of 2019.
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As of now, there have been no reports of casualties on this Tuesday, but authorities in Victoria warned to exercise caution, as three bushfires remained out of control.
Melbourne, the state’s largest city, also approached its hottest day on record. The intense heat was most evident at Melbourne Park, where attendance at the Australian Open tennis tournament plummeted, turning the area into almost a ghost town.
Inside the complex, organizers implemented extreme heat protocols, including the closing of the retractable roofs of the main arenas and the postponement of matches on the outer courts. During the quarterfinal between Aryna Sabalenka and Iva Jovic – the last match played under intense sun – the players resorted to ice packs on their heads and portable fans during the breaks.
Attendance at the event, which had been setting crowd records, fell from 50,000 people in Monday’s daytime session to 21,000 on this Tuesday, as spectators heeded health warnings and stayed home.
The temperatures are expected to start dropping on Wednesday, the 28th, though the heat wave is likely to continue through the weekend. This episode follows another heat wave that occurred earlier this month, amid one of the hottest summers on record in Australia. (Source: Associated Press)
