Hottest temperatures Australia 2021, by location

Australia experienced its hottest year on record in 2019, which led to severe drought, heatwaves, and bushfires in many regions. As of November 2019, the highest recorded temperature in Australia was at Oodnadatta Airport in South Australia, where the temperature was 50.7 degrees Celsius.

What is causing increasing temperatures?

The annual mean temperature deviation in the country has increased over the past century. In fact, in 2020, the annual national mean temperature was 1.15 degrees Celsius above average. Climate experts agree that the major climate driver responsible for the heat experienced in Australia was a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). This is where sea surface temperatures are cooler in the eastern half of the Indian Ocean than the western half. The discrepancy in temperatures led to drier, warmer conditions across Australia. Global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions has been linked to the warming of sea surface temperatures and the IOD.

Social change

While the topic of global warming is undoubtedly controversial, many people perceived global warming as influencing Australia’s climate. In 2019, over 40 percent of young Australians believed climate change was the most pressing issue affecting their generation. This was a stark increase from the previous year. The majority of Australians agreed that their government should be taking some form of action on climate change. It seems that recent climate events have triggered a call for action by many Australians.