CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia experienced its eighth-warmest year in 2023, with the influence of climate change pushing average temperatures almost 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1961-1990 average, the weather bureau said on Thursday.
Forecasters warn that climate change will make Australia hotter and increase the severity of weather extremes.
"Climate change continues to influence Australia's climate," the Bureau of Meteorology said.
The national mean temperature was 0.98 C warmer than the 1961–1990 average, with the winter average 1.53 C above the 1961–1990 average, the bureau said.
Forecasters expect El Nino to fade and perhaps swing later this year into its opposite, La Nina, which makes wetter weather more likely in Australia.
Persons:
El, Nina, Peter Hobson, Christian Schmollinger
Organizations:
CANBERRA, Meteorology
Locations:
Australia, 473.70mm, Western Australia, El Nino, South America, Southeast Asia