Average maximum reaches temperature of 41.9C or 107.4F on Wednesday – a full degree above previous mark set the day beforeAustralia recorded its hottest day on record on Wednesday, with an average maximum temperature of 41.9C (107.4F), beating the previous record by 1C that had been set only 24 hours earlier. Tuesday 16 December recorded an average of 40.9C across the continent, beating the previous record of 40.3C set on 7 January 2013. Wednesday was even hotter across the country, with the highest maximum temperature reached in Birdsville, South Australia, which hit 47.7C (117.8). On Thursday, Nullarbor in South Australia set the record for the hottest December day on record, recording 49.9C (121.8). The SAM had helped drive the extreme heat in NSW and Queensland, Watkins said, adding to the extreme fire danger.

Source: The Guardian December 19, 2019 06:34 UTC