Australia Day Is Heating Up

Australia Day is an official holiday celebrating the first arrival of British ships in Australia and it occurs every year on January 26th. However, this year Australia Day will be heating up with a six-degree increase from last year.

This prediction comes after the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) released its heatwave assessments and forecasts. The heatwave will pass over the Sydney Basin area on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Just How Hot Will It Be

Temperatures are expected to reach 113F (45C) on Friday in some of the country areas of Australia. This will still be lower than the last heatwave that reached 120.38F (49.1C) and broke the previous record. To put this into perspective, last year Sydney was six degrees lower than what is expected this year.

While this hot weather does give many people the excuse they need to visit the beach, it does raise a question. What exactly is causing these cases of extreme heat waves in Australia?

Climate Change is to Blame

Climate change is to blame for stronger heatwaves in Australia and around the world. The effects of global warming are becoming harder for even the most skeptical critic to ignore. Temperatures are rising, polar ice sheets are melting, oceans are warming, wildfire is more likely to occur, natural disasters are becoming more destructive, and much more is occurring due to climate change.

The increasing amount of greenhouse gas emissions, like carbon dioxide, are directly responsible for the temperature change. If nothing is done, coastline cities will be swallowed by the rising oceans by the end of the century.

Firefighters On Watch

Whenever extreme heat and windy conditions coincide, the threat of wildfires increases dramatically. Dry plants and brush make the perfect kindle for wildfires to occur and extreme heat creates the perfect opportunity for this.

The NSW Rural Fire Service is preparing for this by flying a large air tanker to the island on Tasmania. This will aid the firefighters stationed on the island in the event of a fire breaking out.

How Australians Are Preparing For the Heat

The most obvious necessity in a heatwave is to stay properly hydrated. Stocking up on water is essential to beating the heat, but due to the extreme nature of this heat more needs to be done. Due to the amount of air conditioning units that will be running, power outages are expected to occur.

For this reason, the NSW Health is advising everyone to create an emergency kit. On top of this, individuals on medication, are recommended to consult their doctors. Many medications raise the chance of heart disease when exposed to extreme heat.

Lastly, it is recommended that households remove any dark curtains and metallic blinds. These items absorb heat and can become a safety hazard in the strong conditions Australia is facing.

Heatwaves Will Become Normal In the Future

Sadly, if emissions are not stopped, global warming will only intensify. Extreme heat like this will become the norm around the world. This will put millions of lives at risk, as well as animals and marine life. If nothing is done, the world will become unlivable for humans in the future.