Australia’s worst heatwave since black summer made five times more likely by global heating, analysis finds

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 1 min read 100% complete by Donna LuJanuary 22, 2026 at 02:01 PM
Australia’s worst heatwave since black summer made five times more likely by global heating, analysis finds

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A recent analysis found that human-caused global heating made Australia's early January heatwave, the worst since the 2019-20 "black summer," five times more likely. The heatwave impacted much of the country, including Melbourne, Sydney, regional Victoria and New South Wales, as well as Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. Temperatures exceeded 40C in major cities and were even higher in regional areas. Scientists warn that extreme heat is worsening and there are limits to human physical endurance. The analysis highlights the connection between global heating and the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in Australia.

Keywords

heatwave 100% global heating 90% climate change 80% extreme heat 70% australia 60% black summer 50% temperature 40%

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The Guardian - World News
Political Lean
Center-Left (-0.40)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
85%
Geographic Perspective
Australia

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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