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Extreme heat and raging wildfires have devastated the dry landscape of Western Australia. With mercury levels forecast to persist soaring above 40C (104F) over the coming days, a severe alert for extreme heat has been issued across a large portion of the southwestern region.

Widespread Extreme Heat Alerts Across the Region

These conditions follow recent fires in another state, which caused the loss of homes and loss of life. Severe heat alerts have additionally been issued for later this week in areas within SA and New South Wales, as a system of high pressure moves eastward, bringing blazing sunshine to much of the region.

The combination of extremely dry land and relentless heat creates a dangerous scenario for emergency crews.

Worldwide Weather Extremes Cause Disruption

Elsewhere, a major city was left in blackout recently after strong gusts compromised the city’s power grid, with falling trees bringing down electricity cables. The weather conditions also led to significant transport delays at a key airport, where hundreds of air services were cancelled. Severe impact on electrical infrastructure is expected to create further issues as service providers work urgently to reconnect electricity to more than 1 million residents.

Atypical Fog Covers Sunny Region

Meanwhile, a valley known for its sunny weather and abundant sunlight has endured one of its dullest and foggiest periods on record. A particular form of low cloud, which typically lingers for only a short time, has been unusually widespread and persistent this year, keeping the mercury at a key transport hub below 8C for over a week – the most prolonged period in more than three decades. The extended haze has been fuelled by exceptional autumn rainfall that left soils saturated.

• Primary Driver: Exceptional autumn rainfall soaked the soil.
• Result: Prolonged and dense mist development.
• Impact: Temperatures remained below average for an extended period.

Severe Weather Brings Wintry Weather to Tourist Islands

Turning to Spain, a weather system has ushered in intense rainfall, powerful gales and even snow to a group of islands – conditions many would not connect with this favored tourist spot. While snow is not unknown at elevated areas, the system brought some of the heaviest accumulations since 2016 to a protected area, forcing its closure.

In addition to the snowfall, fierce northerly winds buffeted the archipelago, with gusts exceeding 50mph observed on several locations. The effect of the weather event is expected to diminish this week with more seasonal weather returning.