Australia’s southern states are scorching in extreme heat that could break temperature records in Victoria and South Australia on Tuesday.

At Ouyen and Mildura in north-west Victoria, temperatures of 49C were forecast for Tuesday afternoon. If reached, they would break the state’s all-time temperature record of 48.8C, set in Hopetoun on Black Saturday in 2009. By 1pm, temperatures of 46.2C in Ouyen and 44.8C in Mildura had been recorded.

At Ouyen and Mildura in north-west Victoria, temperatures of 49C were forecast for Tuesday afternoon. If reached, they would break the state’s all-time temperature record of 48.8C, set in Hopetoun on Black Saturday in 2009. By 1pm, temperatures of 46.2C in Ouyen and 44.8C in Mildura had been recorded.

In Adelaide, the mercury hit 40C before 9.30am on Tuesday, after overnight lows of 35C, BoM observations showed.

Extreme heat is the most common cause of weather-related hospitalisations in Australia, and kills more people than all other natural hazards combined. What does exposure to extreme heat – such as a temperature of 49C – do to the body?

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[–] 77 points 8 months ago (51 children)

Once temps hit more than 37C and 100% humidity, the human body loses the ability to regulate it's temperature through sweating.

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  • [–] 72 points 8 months ago* (5 children)

    I've worked in mines in the desert in South Australia where temps semi regularly hit 46-47 degrees.

    It's OK (ish) because the humidity is low. But you can drink a litre an hour all day (11+ hours) and not need to pee. All that water goes somewhere.

    The underground workings are often more dangerous, with lower temperatures but higher humidity. Once wet bulb temps get above 34 degrees underground personnel need to retreat from the area and the only work that can be done there then is work to fix the ventilation.

    There's heat stress meters that measure wet and dry bulb temperatures and airflow, and can basically compute cooling power in watts. Not enough cooling power -> everyone out.

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  • [–] 35 points 8 months ago

    I can only imagine, as I sit on the Stockholm metro with cold and damp feet after walking through snow and some slush to get to the bus earlier.

    I am happy to hear that you have rules and regulations for these eventualities.

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  • [–] 15 points 8 months ago* (1 child)

    Actually at 100% humidity the highest survivable temperature for a human is 35 C° wet bulb temperature.
    But that is with everything else being perfect, being healthy, in the shade, and perfectly hydrated, and zero physical activity.
    A more realistic maximum survivable wet bulb temperature is closer to 30 C°. But 35 C° is the absolute maximum, where above that everybody dies.

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  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago

    Sorry, but that's wrong. WBGT takes radiative heat into effect when it's calculated. The sun and shade effectively have two different WBGT readings. That's why its measured with a black globe. Protocol is to measure ~2 meters heigh in direct sunlight away from structures that block wind so you get the worse case scenario. Like any whether reading, its localized.

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    [–] 73 points 8 months ago (9 children)

    In Adelaide, the mercury hit 40C before 9.30am on Tuesday, after overnight lows of 35C

    There are not enough swear words in my vocabulary to successfully articulate my reaction to that.

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  • [–] 11 points 8 months ago (7 children)

    40c is 104F, it's not common but it happens where I live at least a few times a summer.

    49c is 120F that wouldnt be fun

    My state high happened near where I live in 1934. 118 degrees.

    Personally I think the highest I've experienced is 112.

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  • [–] 47 points 8 months ago (8 children)

    That's pretty damn hot. Around 120 F for those imperialists among us.

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    [–] 34 points 8 months ago (11 children)

    it kind of sucks living in a part of the world that requires you to sit in air conditioned bubbles all day. it's a fucking depressing way to live.

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  • [–] 11 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    That is exactly how I felt about Texas.

    And I was shocked no one thought to build or market reasonable 3rd spaces.

    I always imagined thats why there were so many drunk people out and about. Because the only habitable place outside of homes were bars if you didn't have a gym membership.

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

    yes. everyone is inside because it's hot, and everyone is getting drunk because that's the only thing there is to do, and everyone is driving a car because that's the only way to get there. if you didn't drive, then you're waiting around for the person who drove you, and you're getting really drunk because they don't want to leave yet. what a stupid ironic life

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    [–] 31 points 8 months ago (7 children)

    I lived in Perth for several years and I've seen 45 degree heat there. It's a desert, so it's dry heat. But that's hot. Real hot. 49-50 is just insane.

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  • [–] 16 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    I worked in Saudi Arabia for several years. According to the law, people working outdoors can have a break when it gets over 50. Usually, that law was actually obeyed. Hottest I ever experienced was 52. You don't have to out in that for long in order for it to be lethal, even if, as in my case, I was running every day in the desert and somewhat acclimatized to it. I'd go at 6 AM because that's the only time it wasn't infernally hot. The Bedouins, who know a thing or two about surviving the local climate, would get under cover and minimize activity when it got that hot.

    Now I live in southwestern England, where it seldom gets above 30. I'm fine with that.

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  • [–] 16 points 8 months ago

    I live in Italy, in the valley around our biggest river. It's humid as fuck. Summers used to reach 32-35°C. Nowadays 40-45°C is not uncommon. Our offices are usually air-conditioned, but production areas aren't.

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  • [–] 18 points 8 months ago

    It was 'fun' at work. We don't have air con, just big sheds - plenty of ventilation though, it's not still and not in the sun.

    It's workable, you've absolutely got to keep up with hydration, stop for a drink every ~10-15mins, keep the fan on you.

    Double Wall 1L+ drink bottle is required, filled half with ice cubes to keep the water frosty.

    Can't imagine how bad it'd be if it was humid.

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  • [–] 16 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    Damn, everything above body heat (37°C) is bad for your body.

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  • [–] 15 points 8 months ago (5 children)

    42-ish here in Belgrave. Current status: finished work, drinking a cold cider, then off to the pool.

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  • [–] 11 points 8 months ago (3 children)

    49 Celsius = 120.2 Fahrenheit, for the oldies out there.

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    [–] 11 points 8 months ago (11 children)

    is that 49 wet bulb or 49 normal?

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  • [–] 9 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Wow, my tropical country often gone to 34/35°c high humid in hot days, can't imaging anything higher than that.

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    [–] 8 points 8 months ago

    Why I feel that business hours during summer season have to be extended at least a couple hours before closing because it is debilitating to even try do anything even under the shade at over 40C. Also, much exercise I have to do during such a season needed to be conducted at night.

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago

    "Australians are finding out" yeah, we've BEEN finding out for as long as i can remember lmao. the hottest we've logged the factory i work in was 56 degrees (that was when outside was ~48)

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