It looks like that the pattern of warmer than average temperatures across Australia continues to persist. The year 2017 was Australia’s third most warmest on record, with Queensland and New South Wales observing their hottest annual temperatures.
[yuzo_related]
The national mean temperature of 22.76°C or 0.95°C above the long term average was the third highest since records started in 1910. This indicates that the 11 year mean temperature between 2007 and 2017 was the highest on record, and seven of Australia’s 10 warmest years have occurred since 2005.
Regardless of the absence of an El Niño, which is usually associated with the hottest years, 2017 still recorded very warm temperatures. For Australia, most of the warming has come since the 1950s.
As per weather reports, parts of the Hume Highway melted in the heat and the temperature at Penrith mounted to 47.3 degrees Celsius on Sunday, making it the hottest place on Earth during that 24-hour period.
Both day and night time temperatures were warmer than average, with the annual maximum being the second-highest on record.
Persistent high sea surface temperatures prompted the first occurrence of back to back mass coral bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef.
The two warmest years were 2016 and 2015, the occurrences of which were assisted by a strong El Niño. However, 2017 was the hottest year so far without the assistance of the above mentioned weather pattern.
Image Credit: ABC
