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Extreme heat and raging bushfires have swept through the dry landscape of Western Australia. With mercury levels expected to persist climbing above 40C (104F) over the next few days, a severe alert for extreme heat has been declared across a large portion of the south-west.

Widespread Heatwave Warnings Throughout the Region

These conditions come after recent bushfires in another state, which caused the destruction of properties and fatalities. Intense heat alerts have also been issued for later this week in parts of South Australia and New South Wales, as a ridge of high pressure moves eastward, bringing blazing sunshine to a broad swath of the region.

The combination of extremely dry vegetation and relentless heat presents a volatile situation for emergency crews.

Global Climatic Events Cause Disruption

Elsewhere, a major city was left in darkness recently after powerful gusts compromised the city’s electrical network, with falling trees bringing down power lines. The stormy weather also caused major transport delays at a major airport, where hundreds of flights were cancelled. Substantial impact on electrical infrastructure is expected to create ongoing problems as service providers work urgently to restore power to over 1 million inhabitants.

Unusual Fog Covers Sunny Area

At the same time, a valley known for its sunny weather and plentiful sunshine has experienced one of its dullest and most overcast weeks on recorded history. A particular form of low cloud, which usually lingers for only a few days, has been unusually widespread and long-lasting this year, keeping temperatures at a key transport hub below 8C for more than a week – the longest such streak in more than three decades. The prolonged haze has been driven by unprecedented fall rainfall that resulted in soils saturated.

• Primary Driver: Exceptional fall rains soaked the ground.
• Outcome: Extended and dense fog formation.
• Impact: Thermal readings remained unseasonably low for an extended period.

Storm Delivers Wintry Weather to Tourist Islands

And in Spain, a weather system has brought heavy rain, powerful gales and even snow to a group of islands – weather many would not connect with this popular tourist spot. While wintry precipitation is not unheard of at higher ground, the system delivered some of the heaviest snow depths in 2016 to a protected area, compelling its temporary shutdown.

In addition to the snowfall, fierce northerly winds swept across the island chain, with wind gusts exceeding 50mph recorded on multiple locations. The influence of the weather event is forecast to diminish this week with more seasonal weather taking hold.