Searing Autumn: Australia Sweats Through Record Heat as Winter Fades into Haze
As winter approaches Australia remains gripped by an unrelenting autumn heatwave, with vast regions of the country experiencing temperatures more typical of midsummer. The southern half of the continent, particularly Victoria and parts of New South Wales, is enduring one of its warmest autumns on record.
March 2025 became Australia's hottest ever, and the unusual heat has stretched well into May. Melbourne and Hobart have reported their warmest May nights in recorded history while some areas have seen daytime temperatures surge over 10°C above seasonal averages.
The primary driver is a prolonged high-pressure system over southern and southeastern Australia. Known as "blocking highs," these systems have stalled the usual west-to-east flow of weather, trapping dry and warm air masses o...