Extreme Heat: Temperatures Near 50C Spark Evacuations and Power Outages in Australia
- Record-breaking heat has gripped southeastern Australia, with temperatures soaring close to 50 degrees Celsius and fuelling dangerous bushfires across rural Victoria
- Communities have been forced to evacuate, farms have suffered devastating losses, and residents are rallying together in the face of extreme conditions
- Health authorities and climate experts have warned that the crisis highlights the growing threat of human-driven climate change
Southeastern Australia has been sweltering under a severe heat wave, with temperatures climbing close to 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). The Australian Bureau of Meteorology reported that this was the most extreme heat wave in 16 years.
On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Victoria recorded its hottest day ever, with Hopetoun and Walpeup reaching 48.9 C (120 F), while Melbourne passed 45 C (113 F). Neighbouring states New South Wales and South Australia also saw towns hovering around 50 C, nearing the national record of 50.7 C set in 2022 on the West Australian coast, CNN reported.
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Gellibrand residents battle flames
In the rural town of Gellibrand, about 200 kilometres southwest of Melbourne, residents fought to protect their properties as wildfires spread rapidly. Karlee Smith said she jumped on a quad bike to herd sheep away from the flames.
“We actually had to ride through where the fire was burning,” she explained. Her father and brother used a water tanker attached to a tractor to fight the blaze and discovered a male koala, exhausted and in shock, emerging from the scorched bushland.
Smith later said the koala was checked, fed eucalyptus, and released into an unburnt gumtree. She estimated that about 90% of their 2,000-acre farm had been destroyed, with livestock losses still uncertain.
“I think everyone’s feeling scared. It’s really quite horrible, but you can’t help but notice how everyone is just sticking together,” she said.
Hopetoun and Walpeup record-breaking heat
Hopetoun and Walpeup, two small farming towns in Victoria, endured record-breaking temperatures of 48.9 C (120 F). Steve Mccullough, who runs the local hotel in Hopetoun, said residents were accustomed to extreme heat but this week was particularly harsh. He explained that some workers left early and businesses closed, while he kept the pub open to provide refuge.
“We opened our doors and made it known that anyone who was hot could come in here and just sit with no obligation to buy anything,” he said.
Mccullough added that the menu was adjusted to reduce heat from the grill, while cold beers remained on tap.
“Once you cross 40 C, it doesn’t matter whether it’s 42 or 49 C, it’s just very hot. You gotta work with it,” he said.
Health authorities warn of heatstroke
Australian health authorities urged residents to stay hydrated and check on vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and those with weakened immune systems. Michael Georgiou, executive director of regional operations at Ambulance Victoria, warned: “Signs of heatstroke are loss of consciousness, confusion, seizures. These are life threatening emergencies.”
Bushfires, fuelled by the soaring temperatures, have swept across Victoria, prompting evacuations and leaving firefighters battling at least five major blazes. A state of disaster remains in place. Earlier this week, more than 100,000 homes lost electricity due to fire damage and a strained power grid.
Gellibrand resident Kyla Beale said fires had been threatening the community for two weeks. She evacuated with her son and dog, while her husband stayed behind to defend their home. “It was terrifying leaving my husband at the mercy of the winds and fire,” she said. The town’s drinking water supply was also cut off after the treatment plant was damaged.
Climate crisis Intensifies extreme heat
Climate experts have described the situation as a public health emergency driven by fossil fuel emissions. Dr Kate Charlesworth, a public health physician in Sydney, said:
“Heat is a silent killer. It has killed more Australians than all other extreme weather events combined – with more than 1,000 lives taken during heatwaves between 2016 and 2019.”
Scientists at the World Weather Attribution reported that the heat wave from January 7-9 was made five times more likely due to human-caused climate change, adding that the event was 1.6 C hotter because of global warming.
Despite the devastation, residents in Victoria’s hardest-hit towns have been supporting one another. Mccullough said:
“Everyone will tell you a story about knocking on someone’s door to make sure their neighbours are all right.” Smith echoed the sentiment in Gellibrand: “This is Gellibrand community… everyone is just really wanting to support each other.”
Source: Getty Images
Study warns billions could face extreme heat by 2050
Legit.ng earlier reported that a new study from the University of Oxford reported that almost half of the world’s population – around 3.79 billion people – would be living with extreme heat by 2050 if global warming reached 2.0°C above pre-industrial levels. Climate scientists described this scenario as increasingly likely.
Source: Legit.ng
