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Extreme heat and raging bushfires have swept through the dry landscape of Western Australia. With temperatures expected to persist climbing above 40C (104F) over the coming days, a major heatwave warning has been issued across much of the south-west.

Widespread Heatwave Alerts Throughout the Region

This situation come after this month's fires in another state, which caused the loss of homes and loss of life. Intense heatwave warnings have additionally been activated for later this week in areas within South Australia and NSW, as a ridge of atmospheric pressure moves eastward, bringing intense sunshine to much of the area.

The mix of extremely dry vegetation and unbroken high temperatures presents a dangerous scenario for firefighters.

Global Weather Extremes Trigger Chaos

Elsewhere, a metropolis was plunged into blackout recently after strong gusts damaged the city’s electrical network, with toppled trees bringing down power lines. The weather conditions also led to significant travel disruption at a key airport, where numerous air services were cancelled. Severe impact on electrical infrastructure is expected to create ongoing problems as service providers scramble to reconnect electricity to over 1 million inhabitants.

Atypical Mist Covers Sunny Area

At the same time, a region famed for its sunny weather and abundant sunshine has experienced one of its grayest and most overcast weeks on recorded history. A particular form of low cloud, which typically lasts for only a few days, has been unusually widespread and persistent this year, holding the mercury at a major airport under 8C for more than a week – the longest such streak in over three decades. The extended fog has been fuelled by exceptional autumn rainfall that resulted in soils saturated.

• Key Factor: Record autumn rainfall saturated the ground.
• Result: Prolonged and thick fog formation.
• Effect: Thermal readings remained below average for an extended time.

Severe Weather Brings Snow to Tourist Destination

And in Spain, a powerful storm has brought intense rainfall, powerful winds and even snowfall to a group of islands – weather many would not connect with this favored holiday destination. While snow is not unknown at elevated areas, the system brought some of the deepest snow depths since 2016 to a national park, forcing its temporary shutdown.

Alongside the snowfall, fierce winds from the north swept across the island chain, with wind gusts exceeding 50mph recorded on multiple islands. The effect of the storm is expected to diminish this week with more seasonal weather returning.