Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Qld outback town smashes heat record
A string of nine days over 45C in Birdsville has smashed a Queensland heatwave record.
January 20, 2019
Queensland’s most famous town has smashed another heat record, with the mercury topping 45C for a ninth day in a row at Birdsville.
While it’s nowhere near the highest maximum temperature of 49.5C recorded in 1972, the string of nine days at or above 45C is a new benchmark for the outback town.
Birdsville Hotel assistant-manager Darren Collins says it’s been relentless but it’s keeping the pub busy as locals come in for some relief.
“It’s like a fan-forced oven straight off the desert, I started work at 6am and it was already 36C – it’s something we’re used to out here but this is tough,” he told AAP on Sunday.
“There’s a breeze up at the moment and that just adds another level to it – part of the road is melting a little and you just know it’s going to do you damage if you spend too much time out there.”
At 2.25pm the tiny town was sweltering at 45.7C.
And, there’s no end in sight to the current heatwave, which could roll on for the next week, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
“Which is quite phenomenal,” meteorologist Chris Joseph told AAP.
The previous record was set in 2013 when the mercury topped 45C for six-days in a row.
Before that, the longest spell above 45C was five-days recorded in 1972, 1981 and 2004.
The succession of hot days has been caused by a stagnant low-pressure trough, perched over parts of southwestern Queensland, Mr Joseph said.