IT’S OFFICIAL. JANUARY was Australia’s hottest single month on record.

“Climate change is cranking up the intensity of extreme heat, and January’s record breaking month is part of a sharp, long-term upswing in temperatures driven primarily from the burning of fossil fuels,” said the Climate Council’s acting CEO, Dr Martin Rice.

The highest temperature recorded during January was at Port Augusta in South Australia, which reached 49.5°C.  The people of Menindee in NSW also did it tough with temperatures above 47°C for four days in a row.

NSW, ACT, Victoria and the Northern Territory had their hottest January on record while Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia had one of their warmest Januarys on record.

“December 2018 was also the hottest on record and February and March are shaping up to be scorchers too. Climate change is creating longer, hotter and more frequent heatwaves and Australia is particularly vulnerable to the impacts,” said Dr Rice.

“This extreme heat has many implications, both for the environment and for human health,” he said.

“Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise for four years in a row. This cannot continue. The Federal Government must roll out a credible climate policy so that we can deeply and rapidly reduce our emissions,” he said.  

“Australians recognise climate change is happening – they’re living with it and they want action. We have the solutions at our disposal but there’s only a tiny window of opportunity left,” said Dr Rice.

For more information please contact Communications Officer, Brianna Hudson on 0455 238 875

The Climate Council is Australia’s leading climate change communications organisation. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community.

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