Hottest July on record for much of Queensland prompts warnings of more to come
Author: ABC News Date Posted:2 August 2018
With parts of Queensland recording their hottest July temperatures on record, one of Australia's leading climatologists has issued a dire warning about what lies ahead on the weather radar.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said average maximum temperature records were set last month in 12 locations, including the Gold Coast, Logan, Archerfield Airport, Gatton and Charters Towers, near Townsville.
The records had stood for at least 20 years, with the Gatton's average maximum temperature of 23.6 degrees Celsius beating its previous mark of 23.3C from 78 years ago.
Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef set a new highest July temperature of 26.4C, breaking a previous record set in 1998. The average temperature for July on the island is 21.1C
Alva beach near Townsville also broke a previous record for the hottest day, reaching 29.4C.
Applethorpe and Amberley also both broke records from 1993, for hottest daily mean temperatures.
ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes heatwave expert Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick said while it was not clear-cut, there was cause for concern.
