Australia swelters as temperatures set to soar up to 45 C on Monday

ANKARA

Australia is in the grip of a searing heat wave, with temperatures in some places set to soar past 40 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), local media reported on Sunday.

According to the forecast, parts of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory could experience temperatures of up to 45 C or 46 C on Monday, local broadcaster SBS News reported.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned of a "high likelihood" of fire weather warnings and severe heat waves across the country in the coming days as the heat sweeps a vast band from the north through the southeast of Australia.

For many parts of Australia, the heat wave is expected to continue into next week, with parts of Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory forecast to endure the heat until late next week.

The country will experience warmer than average temperatures across summer, with an increase in unusually high temperatures during the night, according to the BoM.

According to the WHO, heat stress kills more people than any other natural hazard.

Around 47,000 deaths were attributed to high temperatures in Europe in 2023 and — according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service — heat-related mortality has increased by around 30% in the last two decades.