Australian heatwave sign of climate change SYDNEY (Reuters) - A
heatwave scorching southern Australia, causing transport chaos
by buckling rail lines and leaving more than 140,000 homes
without power, is a sign of climate change, the government said
on Thursday. The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a total of
six days of 40-plus Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) temperatures for
southern Australia, which would equal the worst heatwave in 100
years. Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said the heatwave,
which started on Wednesday, was the sort of weather scientists
had been warning about. "Eleven of the hottest years in history
have been in the last 12, and we also note, particularly in the
southern part of Australia, we're seeing less rainfall," Wong
told reporters. "All of this is consistent with climate change,
and all of this is consistent with what scientists told us would
happen." The maximum temperature in southern Australia on
Thursday was 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 Fahrenheit) in four
towns. While uncomforta