Heatwaves: Hotter, longer more often
For the second year in a row, heatwaves and extreme hot weather have plagued much of Australia. Preliminary accounts of the January 2014 heatwave in Victoria point to significant health impacts—203 heat-related deaths, a 20-fold increase in ambulance call-outs, a four-fold increase in calls to nurses-on-call, and a four-fold increase to locum doctors. Severe heat also afflicted areas further north: for the week ending 4 January 2014, average maximum temperatures were 8°C or more above normal in southern inland Queensland.