Weather tracker: temperatures hit 43.5C in Australia as 2023 on track to be hottest year

Heat in Australia is 15C above December average and comes as Cop28 nears end

Parts of south-east Australia have been experiencing extreme heat over recent days. Temperatures hit 43.5C at Sydney airport on Saturday. This was the highest temperature recorded at this station since records began in 1929, and is about 15C above the December average. Authorities have issued several bushfire warnings and banned fires across many parts of New South Wales.

Temperatures will ease early this week across south and south-east Australia, but will intensify across northern, western and central parts as the week progresses. Here, temperatures could rise into the 40Cs widely by the weekend.