• Victoria sets new all-time temperature record of 48.9°C (120°F) amid severe heatwave, Australia

    Temperatures across southeastern Australia reached record levels on January 27, 2026, with the Bureau of Meteorology confirming a new all-time high of 48.9°C (120°F) at Walpeup and Hopetoun in Victoria. The readings surpassed the previous state record of 48.8°C (119.8°F) set in 2009, amid severe to extreme heatwave conditions extending across Victoria, South Australia, and inland New South Wales.

  • Severe multi-state heatwave drives extreme bushfire risk across southern Australia

    Australia is enduring one of its most intense heatwaves since the 2019–20 Black Summer, with extreme temperatures, strong winds and dry lightning fuelling catastrophic fire danger across multiple states. Emergency-level bushfires have been reported in South Australia and Victoria, while BOM forecasts indicate the threat will intensify through Friday, before cooler air reaches southern regions at the weekend.

  • Phoenix logs highest August temperature on record

    Phoenix, Arizona, reached 47.8°C (118°F) on August 7, 2025, setting the highest August temperature since records began in 1895. Other locations across the region also saw record highs, with Blythe, California, reaching 48.9°C (120°F).