A new study by World Weather Attribution revealed that climate change is making Australian heatwaves five times more likely. It reported that January temperatures were recorded widely above 40ºC, in the hottest temperatures since the ‘Black Summer’ of 2019-2020.
According to the report, heatwaves cause more deaths in Australia than all other natural hazards combined. This January, the three-day heatwave led to health impacts, increased pressure on hospitals, and dangerous fire weather. Despite the simultaneous La Niña, which usually brings mild temperatures to much of the region, carbon emissions made the heatwave hotter, adding 1.6°C to the temperatures recorded.
The study by WWA found that if the world warms 2.6°C above the pre-industrial average, as predicted based on current global policy, heat events like the January heatwaves can be expected once every two years.
Jacynta Fa’amau, 350.org Pacific Campaigner says,
“Australia needs to understand that the situation will only get worse if we allow this runaway train that is the fossil fuel industry to continue. As a Samoan living in Australia, I know the reality of intensifying climate disasters. Just as the tropical cyclones grow in strength in the Pacific, so do the heatwaves here in Australia.
In my home city of Melbourne, temperatures went over 44ºC, and devastating bushfires in Victoria pushed us to declare a state of disaster. Alarm bells should be ringing and the floodlights should be pointed at the coal and gas industry.”
The report comes days after an announcement that Australia’s largest coal-fired power plant, Eraring in New South Wales, will stay open for an additional two years. Operators, Origin Energy, notified the NSW government that it would operate the Eraring plant until 2029. This has been met with concern from Australian and Pacific climate leaders, as Australia’s continued fossil fuel production threatens its legislated emissions targets.
Fenton Lutunatabua, 350.org Program Manager Pacific & Caribbean says,
“There have been countless warnings of what the future holds if we remain locked into fossil fuels. The world is waking up to a reality the Pacific has known for a long time, that this is no longer a “future” problem, but a present day one. The Eraring extension goes against all of the promises Australia made in the Pacific about climate leadership and regional collaboration, and puts all of us at risk of further climate catastrophe. I hope the Australian government looks at the impacts of the heatwaves on their people and see what we see when we look at the intensifying cyclones in our islands – an undeniable reason to move beyond fossil fuels.”
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