THE HEAT IS ON: CLIMATE CHANGE, EXTREME HEAT AND BUSHFIRES

To view a copy of this license visit You are free to copy, communicate and adapt the Climate Council of Australia Ltd copyright material so long as you attribute the Climate Council of Australia Ltd and the authors in the following manner: The Heat is On: Climate change, extreme heat and bushfires in Western Australia by Will Steffen, Lesley Hughes and Alix Pearce (Cl. [...] An increase in the number of heatwave days in turn influences the number of heatwave events and/or their duration, and although smaller, areas of increasing trends in heatwave frequency and duration of the longest yearly event are consistent with that of the heatwave days. [...] The Western example, in January 1961 temperatures Australian DFES has confirmed that the reached 40°C and severe bushfires, 2015 bushfire season has already seen described as some of the worst in the 1000 bushfires in Western Australia since state’s history, destroyed the township January 1, including the fire in Western of Dwellingup (ABS 2010). [...] AU Page 15 THE HEAT IS ON: CLIMATE CHANGE, EXTREME HEAT AND BUSHFIRES IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of very hot days and is driving up the likelihood of very high fire danger weather. [...] therefore comes from the relationship In the future even more severe bushfire between the long-term trend towards weather is expected in southern a warmer climate due to increasing Australia, including south west Western greenhouse gas emissions – and Australia, consistent with the rising therefore the increasing amount of heat temperatures and the projected decrease in the atmosphere – and the in.