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Extreme heat and raging bushfires have devastated the dry landscape of Western Australia. With temperatures expected to continue climbing above 40C (104F) over the next few days, a major alert for extreme heat has been declared across a large portion of the southwestern region.

Broad Heatwave Warnings Throughout the Region

This situation come after this month's fires in another state, which caused the loss of properties and fatalities. Severe heatwave warnings have additionally been activated for later this week in parts of SA and New South Wales, as a system of high pressure moves to the east, bringing intense heat to much of the region.

The mix of tinder-dry vegetation and relentless heat presents a dangerous situation for firefighters.

Worldwide Weather Extremes Trigger Chaos

Elsewhere, a major city was left in darkness recently after powerful winds damaged the city’s power grid, with falling trees knocking out power lines. The weather conditions also led to significant travel disruption at a key airport, where hundreds of air services were cancelled. Severe impact on power systems is expected to cause further issues as utility companies scramble to restore power to over 1 million residents.

Atypical Mist Covers Typically Clear Area

At the same time, a valley known for its clear skies and plentiful sunlight has endured one of its dullest and foggiest weeks on record. A specific type of fog, which typically lingers for only a few days, has been unusually widespread and long-lasting this year, keeping the mercury at a key transport hub under 8C for over a week – the most prolonged period in more than three decades. The prolonged fog has been fuelled by exceptional fall rainfall that resulted in soils saturated.

• Primary Driver: Record fall rains soaked the ground.
• Result: Extended and dense mist development.
• Impact: Temperatures remained below average for an lengthy time.

Severe Weather Brings Snow to Tourist Destination

And in Spain, a powerful storm has brought intense rain, powerful winds and even snowfall to a group of islands – conditions many would not connect with this favored tourist spot. While snow is not unheard of at higher ground, the storm brought some of the heaviest snow depths in 2016 to a national park, forcing its closure.

Alongside the snowfall, fierce winds from the north swept across the island chain, with gusts reaching 50mph observed on several locations. The effect of the weather event is forecast to ease this week with more typical weather returning.