For Yanks:

45°C (degree Celsius) is 113°F (degree Fahrenheit)

July 10, 1913

Death Valley's Record-Breaking Heat:
The Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded on Earth On July 10, 1913, Death Valley, Nevada,
recorded the hottest temperature ever on Earth at a scorching ,
a record that still stands as of June 2025,
highlighting the extreme conditions of this arid desert region.

42 C  outside right now

26 C inside with the aircon on.

greggerypeccary wrote on Jan 27^th, 2026 at 3:06pm:


Yep.


AI Overview

As of late January 2026, Renmark in South Australia's Riverland region has been experiencing an extreme, record-challenging heatwave with temperatures forecast to reach near 50°C, specifically peaking around 48°C to 49.3°C.


Key Details Regarding the Heatwave (Jan 2026):
Renmark Temperatures: The town has been under severe heatwave conditions, with temperatures forecast at 48C on Jan 26-27. Reports from Jan 27 indicate that Renmark reached 49.3°C.


Regional Context: This is part of a broader, long-duration heat event affecting South Australia, Victoria, and NSW, with some inland areas potentially reaching 50°C.


Record Heat: These temperatures are very close to the record high of 48.6°C set in 2019.

Melbourne

Nearly 10.00pm and it's still 32 outside.   

https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-heatwave-live-state-swelters-u...

Several temperature records were broken in Victoria on Tuesday. The Mallee town of Walpeup recorded 48.9 degrees at 3.36pm, and Hopetoun in the southern Mallee region recorded the same at 4.04pm. Hopetoun held the previous record, which was 48.8 degrees recorded on Black Saturday in 2009.

Parts of Melbourne surpassed a forecast of 45 degrees.

More than 100,000 properties were without power across Victoria on Tuesday night, and thousands of homes in the state’s south-west may be without electricity for days after the Otway bushfire crippled one of the main power lines in the region.

A 17-year-old record for electricity demand was broken in Victoria, but Energy and Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the state had sufficient reserves to meet its needs.
A total fire ban will be in effect in the Wimmera and North East districts on Wednesday, as hot, dry and windy conditions persist, making it difficult to control bushfires.

Bricks & concrete in houses act as heat reservoirs,  thermal mass.

I noticed it this morning.
The temperature inside was 22 C after airing the place for many hours using a fan.

Then after going out for an hour and coming back
the temp had climbed to 25 C inside.

I think we'd all be a lot cooler with weatherboard houses -
they don't hold the heat from summer heatwaves.
Other than that - shade cloths on all sun exposed bricks.
I used to do that at my former place and it worked well.
Before that the bricks would get so hot that steam
would come off them when I hosed them with water.

We are in a drought right now - that explains it.


https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/weather/severe-drought-fire-fears-for-...



Sky News predicts
Australia's scorched eastern states are set to fry further in 2026,
according to a Sky News analysis that puts the chance of an El Nino forming this year as high as 75 per cent.



The Melbourne CBD is seen under a blanket of smoke from Yarra Bend Road bridge in Fairfield. Picture: Brendan Beckett



Rob Sharpe
Sky News Australia Meteorologist
4 min read
January 28, 2026 - 5:00AM


South-eastern Australia is experiencing one of its worst heatwaves on record as drought lingers and fires burn.

And there are signs that conditions will get even worse in the next 12 months.

I can reveal that La Nina is about to end and an El Nino is on the horizon. 

Drought and fire
South Australia, Victoria and parts of New South Wales and Tasmania have endured drought for much of the past two years.

The dry landscape has played a key role in the current fire situation in Victoria – the worst since the last major drought which culminated in the Black Summer of 2019/20. 

During spring many of the hardest hit drought regions got decent rainfall, but the substantial falls hoped for didn’t materialize. 

The key was the Sudden Stratospheric Warming event from October to December. 

It brought extra cold fronts to southern Australia – particularly benefiting Tasmania. 

However, it reduced rainfall in NSW – seeing its driest spring in six years.

Google AI:


In June 2007, then-Victorian Premier Steve Bracks announced the construction of a major desalination plant near Wonthaggi, on the Bass Coast, as part of a $5 billion water strategy to secure Melbourne's water supply against climate change and drought. Despite previous concerns regarding the high cost and environmental impact, this reversal made it a key, albeit contentious, element of his water policy.


Key Aspects of the Bracks Desalination Plan:
Project Announcement: Announced on June 19, 2007, to ensure long-term, climate-independent water for Melbourne and Geelong.


Location: The plant was planned for the Bass Coast, with Wonthaggi identified as the site.
Opposition and Concerns: The decision faced significant local opposition from the Bass Coast community regarding environmental impacts, tourism, and landscape damage. Critics labeled the decision as a "hoax" shortly after the 2006 election, emphasizing the high cost and energy consumption.


Strategy Shift: The plan was a major shift from a previous focus on conservation and recycling, with the government facing criticism for ignoring cheaper alternatives.


Economic Impact: The project was predicted to double water bills, with later projections indicating a total cost of over $19 billion over 28 years in construction and operation.
The initiative was defended by Bracks as necessary for the state's future water security.