Australia experienced its third-warmest year on record in 2017, according to the nation’s Bureau of Meteorology.<\/p>\n
The national mean temperature of 22.75C was almost 1C higher than a 1961-1990 baseline, its annual report revealed.<\/p>\n
Only 2005 and 2013 were warmer, based on records kept for about a century.<\/p>\n
In November, the World Meteorological Organization projected that\u00a02017 was “very likely” to be among the hottest years\u00a0ever globally.<\/p>\n
The majority of Australia saw above-average heat, with maximum temperatures the second-warmest on record, the bureau said.<\/p>\n
“Despite the lack of an El Ni\u00f1o – which is normally associated with our hottest years – 2017 was still characterised by very warm temperatures,” said Dr Karl Braganza, head of climate monitoring.<\/p>\n
Summer heat described as “exceptional” had resulted in several land-based records being set in New South Wales and Queensland.<\/p>\n
In its annual report released on Wednesday, the bureau said seven of Australia’s 10 warmest years had occurred since 2005. Only one year, 2011, had cooler than average temperatures.<\/p>\n
It also reiterated that the Great Barrier Reef had suffered consecutive years of mass bleaching due to elevated ocean temperatures.<\/p>\n
Climate change caused by human activity had contributed to the annual mean temperature increasing by about 1.1C since 1910, the report said.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Sydney experienced its hottest day in 79 years when temperatures hit 47.3C. A previous study has warned\u00a0Australia’s biggest cities could face 50C temperatures by 2040.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Australia experienced its third-warmest year on record in 2017, according to the nation’s Bureau of Meteorology. The national mean temperature of 22.75C was almost 1C higher than a 1961-1990 baseline, its annual report revealed. Only 2005 and 2013 were warmer, based on records kept for about a century. In November, the World Meteorological Organization projected […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":390237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[107],"tags":[1671,1135,16016],"yoast_head":"\n