January Was Officially Australia's Hottest Month Ever

Australia had an intense January, complete with heat waves, wildfires, jelly invasions, and seriously sweaty nights. So it comes as no surprise to learn that January 2019 was officially the country’s hottest month ever recorded.

The Bureau of Meteorology announced this new record Friday. Across Australia, the mean January temperature across Australia averaged above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit)—a first for the country, and 2.9 degrees Celsius (5.2 degrees Fahrenheit) above the January average.

Australia broke mean, maximum, and minimum temperature records. One night in the country’s southeastern corner set an overnight low heat recordfor the country, with temperature failing to dip below 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit). In the daytime, temperatures maxed out at more than 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) in Sydney.

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Climate change has also played a role in this dubious milestone. “The warming trend which has seen Australian temperatures increase by more than 1 degree in the last 100 years also contributed to the unusually warm conditions,” Watkins said in the statement.