"Like walking into an oven". Australians warned to brace for more extreme weather

Australians are being warned to brace for more extreme temperatures as weather records tumble across the country in what’s been described as the “most significant heatwave” since the Black Summer bushfires.

Parts of Western Australia have climbed to almost 50 degrees this week, while Melbourne and Adelaide have both exceeded 40 degrees – their hottest days in six years.

“For people in many parts of Australia, stepping outside this week has been like walking into an oven,” said Australia Institute Research Manager Morgan Harrington.

“The data is clear: the kinds of heat waves that so many Australians are experiencing this week are only going to become more common and more severe, until and unless we drastically cut down the amount of fossil fuels that we mine and burn. A good start would be to stop opening new fossil fuel projects.”

Hot conditions in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, the ACT, Tasmania and Western Australia have prompted authorities to issue warnings of moderate to catastrophic fire danger.

While everyone swelters through the heat, research from the Australia Institute shows that more vulnerable people bear the brunt of Australia’s most lethal form of weather.

“It’s the oldest, poorest, sickest Australians that are set to suffer the most,” said Mr Harrington.

“This is because people on lower incomes may not be able to afford things like air-conditioning, robust home insulation, or to rent in leafy suburbs that benefit from established tree canopies.”

Extreme heat (35 degrees and above) is the number one cause of weather-related illness and death in all parts of Australia, except Tasmania.

“These heat waves are particularly hard for people who live inland, away from coastal breezes, especially if they can’t afford to stay cool. For people who also have an underlying medical condition, the consequences can be deadly.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been under pressure to make coal and gas corporations pay for Australia’s rising cost of climate disasters.

“The best way to pay for this would be to impose a climate levy on the fossil fuel companies that are making these kinds of extreme heatwaves worse,” said Mr Harrington.

Polling conducted by the Australia Institute in 2024 found a majority of voters back measures to tax fossil fuel exports, regardless of whether it is set at $1 per tonne (52% support) or $20 per tonne (also 52% support).

Only one in five voters (21%) opposed the measure.

“By creating a National Climate Disaster fund, the Commonwealth would be better prepared to cover the cost of extreme weather, including heatwaves,” said Mr Harrington.

“Instead, fossil fuel companies enjoy government subsidies to the tune of $14 billion a year.”

Natural disasters cost Australians over $13 billion every year.

“We could be doing things to help now, like investing in the kind of infrastructure that helps people stay cool. This includes dedicated places for people to escape the heat, but this all costs local government money,” said Mr Harrington.

The social and financial costs of extreme weather are expected to escalate as the frequency and intensity of natural disasters increase due to climate change.