After just experiencing the warmest December on record, much of Australia is still enduring a sweltering January, with many new high-temperature records being set. The brutal heat waves have resulted in health warnings being issued, telling residents to stay indoors and to take special notice of animals in their care. Overtaxed power grids have failed several times, leaving thousands without power; wildfires are burning in Tasmania; and wild animals are suffering as watering holes dry up. Last week, the town of Port Augusta set a new record high of 121 degrees Fahrenheit (49.5 degrees Celsius). Forecasts have the heat lasting at least through the end of January, possibly leading to yet another hottest-month record.
A January Heat Wave in Australia
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Read moreA koala drinks water from a bottle offered by a man in Adelaide, Australia, on a hot January 24, 2019, in this picture obtained from social media. #
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Read moreA man cools down in front of a mist fan for relief from the hot weather on day 12 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 25, 2019. #
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Read moreThe Sydney Opera House, photographed during sunrise as early-morning temperatures hit 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) on January 5, 2019, in Sydney, Australia #
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Read moreSeagulls sit in the shade under a palm tree in Melbourne on January 25, 2019. Extreme heat was forecast for Victoria later that day, with temperatures expected to reach 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius). #
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Read moreA pan with frying eggs is seen on paving stones during a heat wave in Adelaide, Australia, on January 24, 2019, in this picture obtained from a social-media video. #
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Read moreSunbathers are seen on Bondi Beach as temperatures soared in Sydney on December 28, 2018. #
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Read moreAustralia Day beachgoers wear Australian-flag bikinis and face tattoos on Bondi Beach on January 26, 2019. #
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Read moreA bee seeks out nectar under a Prado Red–sunflower petal, shielded from the sun, in Mirboo North, Victoria, on January 11, 2019. #
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Read moreThe seagull-patrol dog Roxy, photographed at work with her handler, Juliana, at the Sydney Opera House on January 28, 2019. The Sydney Opera House has been having dogs patrol its harborside dining venues to deter seagulls from swooping in to steal diners' food. #
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Read moreThe seagull-patrol dog Roxy wears custom boots to protect her paws from hot pavement and stones at the Sydney Opera House on January 28, 2019. Early results from the new dog-patrol trial have been overwhelmingly positive, with restaurant staff recording an 80 percent reduction in meal replacements due to seagulls. #
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Read moreA red cloud of dust descends upon a farm during a dust storm in Barellan, New South Wales, on January 8, 2019, in this photo obtained from social media. #
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Read moreMerino sheep gather in a cloud of dust as they wait to be fed by the Lelievre family at Yathonga Station on January 17, 2019, in Louth, Australia. Local communities in the Darling River area are facing droughts and clean-water shortages as debate grows over the alleged mismanagement of the Murray-Darling Basin. Recent mass kills of hundreds of thousands of fish in the Darling River have raised serious questions about the way WaterNSW is managing the lake system. #
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Read moreThe Lelievre family dog plays on a small patch of grass being irrigated by water from the Darling River on January 16, 2019, in Louth. The Lelievre family likens the patch of lawn to a safe house. Being able to come home and relax in a nice space after working in extreme heat and dust all day is crucial for the family's well-being. #
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Read moreA dog plunges his head into a puddle of water on January 16, 2019, a day when temperatures reached 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius) in Louth. #
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Read morePeople ride on a water slide named "Green Room" at WhiteWater World in Gold Coast, Australia, on December 28, 2018. #
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Read moreA kangaroo drinks from the Darling River on January 17, 2019, in Louth. #
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Read moreFires can be seen from the Central Highlands Lodge on January 22, 2019, in Miena, Australia. Around 40 residents from the small town of Miena in Tasmania's Central Plateau have been evacuated, as bushfires continue to burn in the area. #
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Read moreA large bushfire burns in Tasmania, Australia, in this photo courtesy of Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. #
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Read moreA water-bombing helicopter fills its tank in the Great Lake on January 22, 2019, in Miena. #
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Read moreSpectators protect themselves from the heat with umbrellas as they watch tennis on a large video screen in Garden Square at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne on January 25, 2019. #
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Read moreFans cool off in the hot conditions during day 11 of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2019. #
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Read moreA young fan cools off in a fountain during day 11 of the 2019 Australian Open in Melbourne. #
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Read moreJeff Garrett balances as he crosses the water at Balmoral Beach on December 26, 2018, in Sydney. #
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Read moreA man and his dog get swamped by a wave at McKenzies Bay on January 25, 2019, in Sydney. #
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Read moreChildren walk through a mist tunnel to cool off from the hot weather on day 12 of the Australian Open tennis tournament on January 25, 2019. #
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Read moreA girl carries a dog across a road to ensure that its paws don't burn on the hot street in Melbourne on January 25, 2019. #
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Read moreThe Sydney Harbour Bridge, photographed during sunrise, as early-morning temperatures climbed on January 5, 2019 #
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Read moreFrench tourists play in the water at St. Kilda Beach in Melbourne on January 25, 2019, a day when temperatures were forecast to reach 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius). #
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