Australian heatwave: Canberra and Penrith smash temperature records that stood for 80 years

Extract from The Guardian

Australia weather

Mercury hits 43.6C in Canberra and 48.9C in Penrith, making it one of the hottest places in the world

Australian Associated Press

Sat 4 Jan 2020 17.23 AEDT Last modified on Sat 4 Jan 2020 17.30 AEDT

Canberra and the western Sydney suburb of Penrith broke temperature records that have stood since 1939 as the bushfire crisis continued to hit Australia. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

Canberra and the outer western Sydney suburb of Penrith have broken temperature records that have stood for 80 years.
The mercury climbed to 48.9C in Penrith and 43.6C in Canberra on Saturday afternoon, the hottest temperatures recorded in those areas. The Canberra mark later rose above 44C.

Prof Ray Wills @ProfRayWills

Replying to @ProfRayWills and 3 others

NB: daily *average* temperature

Penrith was hottest place on Earth today
and
Hottest ever day recorded in Greater Sydney@BOM_au recorded maximum temperature of 48.9C at 3pm
Previous record of 47.3C set in January 2018

3:59 PM - Jan 4, 2020

Penrith set a new record for the hottest temperature in the Sydney basin, beating the previous mark of 47.8C recorded in Richmond in 1939. The new mark also made it one of the hottest places in the world on Saturday afternoon.
The previous Canberra record was 42.8C at the now-closed Acton observation site in 1939.

Bureau of Meteorology Australian Capital Territory

✔ @BOM_ACT

#Canberra has reached 43.6C—a new hottest temperature record for any month. The previous Canberra records are 42.2C at Canberra Airport in 1968 and 42.8C at the now-closed Acton site in 1939. Observations at: http://ow.ly/NHWx50xMZ2L 

92

2:07 PM - Jan 4, 2020

The Bureau of Meteorology said temperatures in both places could continue to climb later on Saturday.