Bushfires follow Australia’s third-hottest year

Australia experienced its third-hottest year on record in 2014, paving the way for an early start to the bushfire season, scientists said Tuesday as hundreds of firefighters battled blazes in three states. The biggest concern is a huge blaze in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills, with firefighters racing to contain the inferno which has already destroyed 26 homes ahead of worsening weather conditions. Hundreds of firefighters are still racing to contain an out-of-control fire north-east of Adelaide. Wildfires are also burning in Western Australia and the southern state of Victoria, officials said, as the Bureau of Meteorology confirmed 2014 was “Australia’s third-warmest year since national temperature observations commenced in 1910”.

Much of Australia experienced temperatures very much above average in 2014, with mean temperatures 0.91 degrees Celsius above the long-term average.

Weather bureau’s Neil Plummer

The weather agency said that following Australia’s warmest year on record in 2013, both maximum and minimum temperatures remained well above average in 2014, with “frequent periods of abnormally warm weather”. The years since 2002 have seen seven of Australia’s 10 warmest years on record, it added. University of Melbourne climate scientist David Karoly said the high temperatures across Australia in 2014 indicated a need to address the amount of greenhouse gas pollution blamed for climate change.

Unless there are rapid, substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia and globally, Australia will experience more heatwaves and bushfires as in 2014.

University of Melbourne climate scientist David Karoly

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