A multiweek heatwave in Australia has parched the landscape, triggered damaging wildfires, pushed the demand on the power grid to the brink and has toppled at least two significant records as of Thursday.
The first record was broken twice in one night Jan. 18, when the low temperature in Noona, New South Wales, dropped to 96.6 degrees, and Borrona Downs only fell to 96 degrees. These were the warmest overnight lows recorded in the month of January anywhere in the world. The previous record was set by a remote weather station in South Australia more than three decades ago, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The second significant record was broken Thursday when Adelaide, Victoria, climbed to 116 degrees — now the highest temperature for any Australian capital. Victorians are cranking up the air conditioning to deal with the heat, which is putting pressure on the electric grid. The South Australian Government fired up its temporary diesel generators Thursday to deal with the extra load, according to the ABC.
The heatwave’s toll spreads beyond city limits. Dozens of horses were found dead in the dried-up beds of former watering holes around the Alice Springs community in the Northern Territory this week, killed by apparent dehydration or heat stroke. According to the RSPCA, horses require eight to 13 gallons of water per day –and more in hot weather.
