How did climate change affect Australia's January heatwave?

Global heating made the January heatwave five times more likely and approximately 1.6C hotter than it would have been otherwise.

What is the impact of heatwaves in Australia?

Heatwaves are Australia's deadliest natural hazard, causing more deaths than all other natural hazards combined.

What are scientists saying about future heatwaves in Australia?

Scientists warn that the planet's capacity to cope with extreme heat is nearing its limit and future heatwaves will likely become more frequent and intense.

Home / Environment / Global Warming Makes Heatwaves 5x More Likely

Global Warming Makes Heatwaves 5x More Likely

22 Jan

•

Summary

Human activity made Australia's heatwave 5 times more likely.
Extreme heat causes more Australian deaths than all hazards.
January heatwave temperatures were 1.6C hotter due to climate change.

Global Warming Makes Heatwaves 5x More Likely

New analysis indicates that human-caused global heating significantly intensified Australia's severe early January heatwave, making it five times more probable. This extreme weather event, the worst since the 2019-20 black summer, saw temperatures soar above 40C across several states.

The World Weather Attribution report highlights that greenhouse gas emissions amplified the heat by approximately 1.6C, outweighing the cooling effect of a weak La Niña. Scientists emphasize that heatwaves are Australia's deadliest natural hazard, and this trend is worsening.

Experts caution that the nation's capacity to physically withstand such extreme temperatures is nearing its limit. Without substantial changes in carbon emissions, heatwaves similar to the recent event could occur annually, posing a critical threat.