| Areas | |
|---|---|
| Start date | Early January 2013 |
| End date | March 2013 |
TheAustralian summer of 2012–2013, known as theAngry Summer orExtreme Summer, resulted in 123 weather records being broken over a 90-day period, including the hottest day ever recorded for January on record, the hottest summer average on record, and a record seven days in a row when the whole country averaged above 39 °C (102 °F).[1] Single-day temperature records were broken in dozens of towns and cities, as well as single-day rainfall records, and several rivers flooded to new record highs.[2]
In January 2013, theBureau of Meteorology altered its weather forecasting chart's temperature scale to include a range, colored purple, between 52 and 54 °C (126 and 129 °F).[3][4] The reporting of the heatwave in the Australian media attracted controversy in the scientific community, as very few articles cited a correlation between the event and climate change, which it was correlated with according to studies conducted by theUniversity of Melbourne.[5]
70% of Australia was affected by theheat wave which developed after a persistent pool of hot air sat over the centre of the continent.[6][7] According to climatologistDavid Jones, the hot weather began in September 2012.[8] Maximum temperatures in late 2012 were up to 1.6 °C (2.9 °F) above average. Average daily maximum temperatures were the highest between 2 and 8 January 2013.[7] The length of the heatwave in outbackQueensland was unusually long. In some areas of that state the overnight temperature did not drop below 35 °C (95 °F).[9]
Central Australia experienced a lack of cloud cover due to low moisture levels during the hottest part of the year. This allowed the conditions to get hotter than normal.[3] Amonsoon trough which usually allows conditions to cool did not eventuate.
New record temperatures were recorded in every state and the twoterritories of Australia.[7] The hottest day on record for the whole of Australia was recorded as 40.3 °C (123.3 °F) on 7 January 2013, which was the highest national average temperature recorded in Australia, until 17 December 2019.
Other all-time records broken in January 2013 included:
Amonsoon low in late January ended the heatwave in Queensland and northern New South Wales, however abnormally hot weather continued into March 2013 in southern parts of Australia. A prolonged heatwave affectedMelbourne which was exacerbated by power blackouts.[10] Record maximum temperatures for that month were experienced in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania.[11] Parts ofSouth Australia equalled or nearly broke temperature records in the first two weeks of March.[12] Tasmania recorded its hottest March ever.[13] The mean temperature across the state was 2.2 °C (4.0 °F) above normal.
A series of severebushfires in south-eastern Tasmania in early January 2013 burnt 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres) and destroyed at least 170 buildings. Bushfires also affected parts of Victoria and southern New South Wales.
Heatwave conditions in Queensland and northern New South Wales were abruptly ended in late January 2013 with severe flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Oswald and an associated monsoon trough. Extremely heavy rainfall continued into February as tropical low pressure systems caused havoc in eastern Queensland. Seven-day rainfall totals over 1,000 mm (39.4 in) were recorded in some areas of south-eastern Queensland.
The heatwave was a major news event and theAustralian media wrote over 800 articles about the heat-wave. Only 10% of these mentioned a potential link toclimate change,[2] but a report by Australia'sClimate Commission entitledAngry Summer states that climate change can be directly linked to the severity of the heatwave. A paper in theAmerican Meteorological Society's Journal of Climate reported that heatwaves have occurred with increasing frequency over the previous 60 years.[14][failed verification] Research conducted by theUniversity of Melbourne and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Systems Science attributed the record temperatures toanthropogenic influences.[5]
