2019 Severe Weather Log
The start of 2019 has been marked by high impact weather in many parts of the world, including record heat, wildfires and rainfall in South America and Australasia, dangerous and extreme cold in North America, and heavy snowfall in the Alps and Himalayas.
2019 starts with extreme, high-impact weather
Temperatures in South Australia’s capital of Adelaide hit nearly 116 degrees Fahrenheit last week, breaking an 80-year-old record high set in January 1939, according to the Bureau of Meteorology in South Australia. On Wednesday, Adelaide nearly topped 101 degrees.
Australia battled a heat wave that topped 115 degrees.
In Victoria, more than 2,000 flying foxes died from heat stress, in what local media described as a "nightmare" event. Similar mass flying fox deaths have been recorded in the states of New South Wales and Queensland.
In the Northern Territory, the bodies of dozens of wild horses were found strewn along a dried-up water hole.
It's been less than five weeks since the start of 2019, but this year is already seeing the destruction of weather records worldwide.
New Zealand has just sweltered through record-breaking heat, where both Hamilton and Wellington recorded their highest temperatures ever, at 32.9C and 30.3C.
It's been less than five weeks since the start of 2019,
Coldest Wind Chill in the Nation? Just recorded, at 7:36 am cst, a wind chill reading of -70 in Ely, MN; about 75 miles north of Duluth. The result of a -31 temperature and wind speed of 35 mph.
Extreme Weather Is Already Breaking Records Around The World In 2019
It's only one month into 2019 and meteorologists are already talking in superlatives as extreme weather patterns have brought cities and towns across the globe to a standstill.
Extreme weather shatters records around the world
According to Niwa, temperature records were smashed in numerous towns and cities too, including Upper Hutt (33.5C), Levin (32.6C) and Whakatane (33.3C). Hanmer Forest reached a scorching 38.4C.