- 1. HEAT WAVE
Information about our weather has proved to us that global warming is a real and true phenomenon. It is hard for me to grasp it while I sit near the fireplace with a cup of tea and a massive blizzard outside in St. John’s, Newfoundland. However, being in Australia the past few months, I can definitely feel its effects much more. One example was the recent heat wave that swept across New South Wales. Now, to get things straight, heat waves and bush fires are a fairly common thing in Australia during the dry summer months. There are frequent bush fire warnings and unfortunately, plenty of bush fires do sweep through parts of the country. However, from what I have been told, these extreme heat conditions and busy fires have increased dramatically over the past years. My great aunt in Sydney said that in the last 50 years she remembers a few heat waves, but lately, the past 5-10 years they happen so much more often, which has taken a big toll on her. We were unlucky to experience a few heat waves during our time in New South Wales. For one day, we were in Sydney. It was hard to breath, and much harder to get around and explore. On 44 degree Celsius weather, it is advised to sit inside and drink plenty of fluids. You really shouldn’t go outside at all, as you risk heat stroke and dehydration very easily. Another day we experienced a bad heat wave (43-44 degrees Celsius) was our day in the Central Coast. As I had mentioned in a previous post, it unfortunately cut down on the things we could do while we were there. We still managed to go to the beach, but we couldn’t last longer than an hour, and that was in the water the whole time! Going for nice coastal walks was a no-no with that kind of sun and heat. In the meantime, you could hear about spreading bush fires in the region of New South Wales. Being down under has really made me realize how hot our weather has really become, here in Australia and beyond.
We learn about sun safety in Canada, but it is not nearly as important as in Australia. Sunscreen every day, a good pair of shades, and often a hat are needed to get you through a hot day---no exceptions in a place with a UV Index that is through the charts!!!
Heat waves and bush fires are not really a phenomenon I have ever experienced living in the Northern Hemisphere, but being in Oz I have a new appreciation for extreme heat and its effects on our planet.
