This March was the hottest on record for Australia, according to new data released by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).

The national mean temperature was 1.7°C above the historical March average, exceeding the previous record of 1.67°C set in 1986.

Australia also experienced its hottest March day on record on the 2nd, with the national mean temperature reaching a sweltering 38°C.

And it’s not over yet – some parts of Australia are still experiencing record-breaking heat, even in April!

This week Sydney experienced its hottest April day on record, reaching an average of 34.2°C – beating the 1986 record of 33.9°C.

Our oceans are feeling it too, with record-warm sea surface temperatures wreaking havoc on the Great Barrier Reef.

Read more about the record-breaking March heat in our latest report.

Header image credit: Flickr user Micolo J licensed under CC BY 2.0