It's sizzling: Australia experiences hottest day on record Australia has experienced its hottest day on record and temperatures are expected to soar even higher as heatwave conditions embrace most of the countryAustralian wildfires pose serious threat to koala population The Associated PressSYDNEY -- Australia experienced its hottest day on record and temperatures are expected to soar even higher as heatwave conditions embrace most of the country. “This hot air mass is so extensive, the preliminary figures show that yesterday was the hottest day on record in Australia, beating out the previous record from 2013 and this heat will only intensify,” bureau meteorologist Diana Eadie said in a video statement on Wednesday. The weather bureau said temperatures in southern and central Australia on Thursday may reach between 8 and 16 degrees higher than normal. On Wednesday temperatures soared to 47.7 Celsius (118 Fahrenheit) in Birdsville, Queensland, 46.9 Celsius (116 Fahrenheit) in Mandora, Western Australia and similar levels in southern and central Australia. The highest temperature reliably recorded in any location in Australia was 50.7 Celsius (123 Fahrenheit) in January 1960, at Oodnadatta, a desert settlement in outback South Australia .

Source: ABC News December 18, 2019 07:53 UTC