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January 13,2022

Andrew Campbell 

On January 13th, the temperature reached 50.7°C in Onslow, a rural seaside town in Western Australia, having matched the country's hottest day record set since 1962. It's also the Southern Hemisphere's highest temperature ever recorded.

According to local media estimates, rainfall this year has been between 0 and 50 millimeters in November and December, well below usual. At this time of the year, the average temperature is also around 36°C.

The heat wave comes only days after research from the European Union's satellite system showed that the last seven years have been the hottest on record.

Since the beginning of the industrial period, the planet has warmed by around 1.2°C, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments around the world drastically reduce emissions.