Australia sweats through long, hot winter

SYDNEY (AFP)

“August 2009 is almost certain to be Australia?s warmest August on record,” the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said.

Taken with above-average temperatures in June and July, the bureau said the exceptional August figures would be “sufficient to lift average winter temperatures to record or near-record levels”.

The heatwave smashed records across the country, most notably in the subtropical northeast region and drought-struck areas in the country’s centre.

Some coastal towns recorded their hottest day for 2009 during August, surpassing temperatures reached at the height of Australia’s scorching summer months.

AFP