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Extreme heat and intense bushfires have swept through 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 declared across much of the southwestern region.

Broad Heatwave Alerts Throughout Multiple States

This situation follow recent bushfires in New South Wales, which resulted in the loss of homes and fatalities. Intense heat alerts have also been issued for the coming days in parts of South Australia and New South Wales, as a ridge of high pressure moves to the east, delivering intense sunshine to a broad swath of the area.

The combination of extremely dry land and relentless heat presents a volatile scenario for emergency crews.

Global Climatic Events Cause Chaos

Elsewhere, a major city was left in blackout recently after powerful gusts compromised the city’s power grid, with toppled trees bringing down power lines. The stormy weather also caused significant transport delays at a major airport, where hundreds of flights were grounded. Substantial damage to electrical infrastructure is anticipated to cause further problems as utility companies scramble to restore power to more than 1 million inhabitants.

Atypical Mist Covers Sunny Region

Meanwhile, a region known for its clear skies and abundant sunshine has experienced one of its dullest and most overcast weeks on record. A specific type of low cloud, which usually lasts for only a few days, has been remarkably widespread and long-lasting this year, holding temperatures at a key transport hub below 8C for over a week – the most prolonged period in over three decades. The extended fog has been driven by unprecedented autumn precipitation that left soils saturated.

• Primary Driver: Record autumn rainfall saturated the ground.
• Outcome: Prolonged and thick fog development.
• Effect: Thermal readings stayed below average for an lengthy time.

Storm Brings Wintry Weather to Tourist Islands

And in Spain, a weather system has brought heavy rainfall, powerful winds and even snow to a set of islands – weather many would not connect with this popular tourist spot. While wintry precipitation is not unheard of at elevated areas, the system delivered some of the deepest accumulations in 2016 to a protected area, forcing its temporary shutdown.

In addition to the snowfall, fierce northerly winds swept across the archipelago, with wind gusts exceeding 50mph observed on several islands. The influence of the storm is expected to diminish this week with more typical conditions taking hold.