A scorching heatwave has swept through three states, causing temperatures in some areas of northern Western Australia to approach 50C. The town of Kalgoorlie, known for its goldmines, is still experiencing power outages following an uncommon super-cell storm.

Residents in New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia have received heat warnings regarding anticipated high temperatures on Sunday. The Pilbara region in northern Western Australia is expected to be particularly affected.

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The small regional town of Paraburdoo, roughly 1,500km north of Perth, was forecast to hit 48C on Sunday after reportedly reaching 47.9C on Saturday. Bureau of Meteorology measurements showed temperatures had reached 45.8C as of noon on Sunday.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore reported that the Pilbara region in Western Australia is anticipating severe to extreme heatwave conditions, with temperatures reaching 48-49 degrees Celsius.

“It is possible that temperatures as high as 50C may occur in the Pilbara region, but it is uncertain if this will be recorded at one of our designated observation stations,” stated the source.

Narramore explained that the current conditions will result in a low-intensity heatwave affecting significant portions of the mainland.

On January 13, 2023, the town of Onslow in the Pilbara region recorded the highest temperature ever recorded in Australia at 50.7C.

Sydney experienced its highest temperatures of the year on the east coast, with some areas reaching as high as 37C and Holsworthy airbase recording 38.5C at 3pm.

Initially, it was predicted that Sydney would reach temperatures of 40C in certain western suburbs. However, a decrease in temperature was expected for Monday due to a cool change coming from the south.

The city of Adelaide has not been greatly affected, however, temperatures in the northern and northwestern regions of South Australia have risen above 40C. At Marree airport, the highest recorded temperature was 42.6C at 2:40pm.

Temperatures in the south-east region of Queensland are predicted to reach the high 30s to low 40s in the next few days. The community has been urged to take care of individuals who may be more susceptible to the heat, such as the elderly, young children, and pregnant women.

3,800 individuals in Kalgoorlie were left without electricity after a powerful storm damaged transmission lines, disconnecting the goldmining town from the power grid. Although Western Power is attempting to fix the issue, residents of Kalgoorlie, along with those in Perth Hills, Wheatbelt, and the Goldfields region, were still without power as of Saturday afternoon.

Authorities have announced their plans to conduct an investigation following the failure of two gas generators in Kalgoorlie, which were intended to serve as backup power sources. This resulted in a power outage for the town’s residents, leaving them without air conditioning or refrigeration during a heatwave.

Source: theguardian.com