DANGEROUS HEAT IS roasting parts of Australia with temperatures that haven’t been seen in decades.
The temperature in Sydney hit an almost 80-year high of 47.3 degrees Celsius yesterday.
The temperature was just shy of the city’s all-time high of 47.8 C, set in 1939.
New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said the state’s heat wave plan had been activated to respond to “severe to extreme heat conditions”.
Residents were urged to drink extra water and limit their time outdoors because of air pollution resulting from the hot weather.
Sporting fixtures were also affected – at the Ashes, England captain Joe Root needed hospital treatment for severe dehydration
He was sent for checks after experiencing diarrhoea and vomiting. Temperatures on the field at the Sydney Cricket Ground reached into the 50s.
Players taking part in the Sydney International tennis tournament were also affected:
Thousands were left without power, and total fire bans were put in place as officials warned of a severe danger.
Power company Ausgrid said it was investigating “multiple localised outages” in Sydney and on the Central Coast, according to Australia’s ABC News.
Swimmers have been urged to exercise extra caution, as crowds head to the beach for some respite from the heat.
- Associated Press with reporting from Daragh Brophy
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