The Australian Bureau of Meteorology stated on the 27th that the country's southeast is experiencing the most severe heatwave since 2009, with temperatures in one area of South Australia reaching 49.6°C, and temperatures across many parts of Victoria breaking records for the day.
The Bureau said that in the town of Renmark, South Australia, temperatures reached 49.6°C, while in the northwest Victorian towns of Walpeup and Hopetoun, temperatures hit 48.9°C, all setting local record highs since records began in 1901.
The Bureau noted that the extreme heatwave may peak in the next two days before gradually easing.
On the 27th, the Victorian Country Fire Authority stated that a bushfire 160 kilometers southwest of Melbourne was out of control and three houses were destroyed. Earlier this month, southeast Australia had already experienced one heatwave; high temperatures at that time sparked bushfires, with five hotspots still burning.
In Melbourne, the temperature near the airport reached 44.1°C at 3:30 pm that day. All outdoor matches at the ongoing Australian Open were suspended, and several main arenas used retractable roofs to provide shade so matches could continue.
On the 26th, Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Wiebusch said this heatwave is the most severe since 2009. The heatwave from January to February 2009 caused one of the deadliest bushfire disasters in Australian history, directly resulting in 173 deaths.