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Australia Earth

Australia Endures Hottest Day on Record (bbc.com) 166

Australia has experienced its hottest day on record with the national average temperature reaching a high of 40.9C (105.6F). The Bureau of Meteorology (Bom) said "extensive" heat on Tuesday exceeded the previous record of 40.3C set on 7 January 2013. From a report: Taking the average of maximum temperatures across the country is the most accurate measure of a heatwave. The record comes as the nation battles a severe drought and bushfire crisis. Forecasters had predicted the most intense heat would come later in the week, meaning the record could be broken again. As hundreds of fires rage, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been criticised for his response to the natural disasters and his government's climate policies.
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Australia Endures Hottest Day on Record

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  • But interestingly the highest temperature record in Australia was not broken. The quaintly named town of Oodnadatta set a record temperature of 50.7C on 2nd Jan 1960.

    I'm sure this little fact won't cause any controversy at all on this website.
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      Apples, meet oranges.
    • by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Wednesday December 18, 2019 @10:40AM (#59531930)

      But interestingly the highest temperature record in Australia was not broken. The quaintly named town of Oodnadatta set a record temperature of 50.7C on 2nd Jan 1960. I'm sure this little fact won't cause any controversy at all on this website.

      It's average for the country versus a local temperature Even says it right in the summary.

      Most people would consider that significant. Can you explain why it isn't?

      • I think he's just saying that the deniers will cherry-pick this data point to "prove" that science is wrong.
        • I think he's just saying that the deniers will cherry-pick this data point to "prove" that science is wrong.

          Hard to tell which side he's on. But that's plausible.

      • It's average for the country versus a local temperature Even says it right in the summary.

        And I'm sure that average has been calculated exactly the same way for the last century and a half (cough).

        Not like the "global average", where they change up the methodology on a regular basis and constantly "correct" the data. To make it "more accurate" of course (even though it is an arbitrary measure to begin with).

        • It's average for the country versus a local temperature Even says it right in the summary.

          And I'm sure that average has been calculated exactly the same way for the last century and a half (cough).

          Illlustrate your surety. Show us the data. Your day to be the expert.

          Not like the "global average", where they change up the methodology on a regular basis and constantly "correct" the data. To make it "more accurate" of course (even though it is an arbitrary measure to begin with).

          I see. So the original hypothesis must never be altered, or updated as new data comes in. Sounds like we're stuck with the universe being created in 4004 BCE.

          • You alter the data to fit your hypothesis?

            Sounds about right. If the models and the observed data disagree, the data must be wrong.

            • You alter the data to fit your hypothesis?

              Sounds about right. If the models and the observed data disagree, the data must be wrong.

              Go back and read what I wrote. You alter the hypothesis to fit new data as it comes in. That's how science works.

              I'll help you, because I get a kick out of how denialists twist and turn and not very skillfully lie.

              I wrote- and you check what I wrote - if you think I'm lying. "So the original hypothesis must never be altered, or updated as new data comes in. Sounds like we're stuck with the universe being created in 4004 BCE. "

              Shall I structure the sentence for you? Sure I will break down the sente

              • That's not how science works.

                They do a lot of things that are not how science is supposed to work.

                and my greatest hope is to piss you off.

                Sorry, it would be wrong to confuse me with someone who gives a damn.

      • Most people would consider that significant. Can you explain why it isn't?

        Because the country is an island, and there is no reason to presume significance of having similar weather on the whole island on a particular day. Maybe that is significant, maybe it isn't, but if so nobody has even attempted to establish what exactly that significance is. Other than numerologically; it does involve round numbers, and extant humans did orient their faces in the same direction when it was presented within their line of sight. Some of them even clicked.

        • North and south America combined are also an Island. Well, two islands if you count the Panama Canal as a break.

          But seriously, Australia has several different climate zones - Tropical, subtropical, dry Mediterranean, and Temperate - with a transition zone in some areas.

          https://www.gostudy.com.au/aus... [gostudy.com.au] Yeah, it's an island, but it's not a small one.

    • There is a spot in Nevada that had temperatures exceeding the heat of the sun for a few seconds. (when they did nuclear bomb testing) but that isn't the national average.

      Highest AVERAGE temperature, vs. Peak temperature at one location.

    • by gtall ( 79522 )

      Why would that be interesting? The average temperature is more important than extremes (as long as the extremes aren't not catastrophic, although higher averages will make higher extremes more likely), certainly for plants and critters. Statistics are important.

      • The average temperature in one location over units of time that align with the normal oscillations of the signal, sure.

        The average over the whole planet, sure.

        But the average arbitrarily in one "country" is unlikely to have much value, since the political boundaries that humans use follow inconsistent rules and have large local variations in composition.

        If all of Australia had a heat wave at the same time, and then a cold spell at the same time, there is no obvious reason why that has a different set of eff

  • Crikey, it's like the whole damn continent's been thrown on a barbie! It's so hot my vegemite is running!

    Fosters!

    • Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
      Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
      He sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
      You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me

      It's so hot my vegemite is waltzing my Matilda and I'm too busy doing the Aussie salute to break in.

  • They are on the other side of the world

  • Google says: (49.9ÂC Ã-- 9/5) + 32 = 121.82ÂF

  • (49.9C x 9/5) + 32 = 121.82F

  • by Ungrounded Lightning ( 62228 ) on Wednesday December 18, 2019 @01:22PM (#59532718) Journal

    They have hundreds of fires burning across the continent during a heat wave. So they averaged the temperature measurements from the stations across the continent. And we're supposed to be surprised that this is six-tenths of a degree C over the previous record high of similar averages.

    Did they include the measurements from stations that were on fire? If so, were there more of them then when they did the previous record average?

    • by DogDude ( 805747 )
      Yup, you've got it straight. You're confused why yet another record heat temperature is a problem? Have you read anything about climate change?
      • Yup, you've got it straight. You're confused why yet another record heat temperature is a problem? Have you read anything about climate change?

        I read plenty about global warming. The phrase "climate change" was coined by the opposition to dismiss global warming as a natural process, because the climate always changes. Don't fall into their trap and give them leverage. How is the climate changing? It's getting warmer from the release of CO2 caused by human activity, therefore it's global warming that is the concern.

        That said, it is quite odd for Australia to express so much concern about global warming wile simultaneously maintaining their ban

        • by jezwel ( 2451108 )

          I will believe Australia is taking global warming seriously when they start building nuclear fission power plants. Until then they are science deniers.

          Our federal government sure are deniers. Voters however are (finally) starting to notice the lack of policy they are running when it comes to energy and global warming. Whether that's enough to change voting behaviour is yet to be seen - it hasn't been so far.

          The biggest problem I encounter is that 'Australia is so insignificant when it comes to emissions, why should we mess up our economy to do anything when China / India / USA aren't doing anything?'

    • Did they include the measurements from stations that were on fire?

      I would not immediately dismiss the idea.

    • You appear to be suggesting that the heat emitted by forest fires can raise ambient air temperatures immediately by measurable amounts in measuring stations, across a continent? Is that right? I'd like to see you also provide some calculations about the calorific outputs of the forest fires that would cause this.
      • I'd like to see you also provide some calculations about the calorific outputs of the forest fires that would cause this.

        I'd be happy to see some numbers even if they were in watts or joules. :)

        Heck, this is slashdot, we accept coulombs.

    • They have hundreds of fires burning across the continent during a heat wave. So they averaged the temperature measurements from the stations across the continent. And we're supposed to be surprised that this is six-tenths of a degree C over the previous record high of similar averages.

      Did they include the measurements from stations that were on fire? If so, were there more of them then when they did the previous record average?

      Your supposition, that fires can increase average temperature measurements, is silly. Direct heating effects will be utterly negligible -- do some math on the amount of heat that would have to be produced in order to appreciably warm a continent. And obviously, they're going to discard the measurements from any weather stations that are actually on fire (assuming they could even get the measurements).

      On the other hand, large forest fires produce enormous quantities of smoke. For example, it's not uncomm

  • Yet more Doomer talk over a weather event to "prove" global warming. Even though these same Doomers will state often that weather is not climate. Tell me something, if we set a new low temperature record in Australia in 6 months is this "proof" of global cooling? Or would that be considered a data point to prove global warming? Or is that just a weather event? Forget that though. I don't care about proving global warming, or just how bad global warming is. I care about seeing people take the problem

    • Yet more Doomer talk over a weather event to "prove" global warming.

      Weather? I'm not sure where you're seeing weather. I'm seeing a continental average compared in the summary to peak over time. I.e. climate.

      But yes we should solve the problem. We can start with everything other than what Australia is doing. Except Nuclear. We'll only look at that once cheap solutions are exhausted.

      • How many record years do you think they have had since 1850?

      • But yes we should solve the problem. We can start with everything other than what Australia is doing. Except Nuclear. We'll only look at that once cheap solutions are exhausted.

        Right, we should look at the safest option last.
        https://www.iaea.org/sites/def... [iaea.org]
        https://badgerherald.com/news/... [badgerherald.com]
        https://nuclear.duke-energy.co... [duke-energy.com]

        Is that last source unbiased? Of course not. They are biased towards energy that works, they want energy that is cheap, safe, and reliable just like anyone else. If there's some kind of lie on the safety of nuclear power then I'd like to see someone bring their own source.

    • by rossdee ( 243626 )

      "For transportation we will need nuclear powered ships,"

      Why not 'wind-powered' ships?

      • Why not 'wind-powered' ships?

        Economics. It's real hard to make money on even a large iron hull sailing ship.
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

        Experiments on nuclear powered cargo ships were considered failures at the time because fuel oil just got too cheap, there were some issues with the specific implementations, lesser value on reducing pollution, and the technology was still developing quickly at the time.
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

        The Maritime Administration placed her out of service in 1971 to save costs, a decision that made sense when fuel oil cost US$20 per ton. In 1974, however, when fuel oil cost $80 per ton, Savannah's operating costs would have been no greater than a conventional cargo ship.

        Since the Savannah was removed from service we've gained a lot of experience with building and

  • We had a couple of days here in Perth when it was just nudging over 40 degrees. Not common for Dec but common enough in our summer.

    40 degree days in Sydney = end of the world scenario.

    One cause of the increased fires is the lack of back-burning or proscribed burning that used to happen so fuel loads on the ground are increasing but that's being ignored and the entire issue is being marked as "climate change" because it's a chance to beat the Federal Government over the head with a stick. A changing climate

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