Australia continues to reel under summer heat wave by Matt Taylor
While the UK continues to be hit by cold weather, parts of Australia are in the grip of a summer heat wave, which has seen temperatures soar to 42C (108F) in some places. Many parts of southern Australia are entering their 11th consecutive day of temperatures over 40C (104F).
The heat has originated from the deserts further inland, and has been transported by hot, dry winds which blow across the southern deserts in summer.
In the south west of the country, Perth continues to bake under temperatures of 35C (95F), more than 5C above their average maximum temperature for this time of year. Towards the east, a state of emergency has been declared near Sydney, after days of extreme heat sparked numerous of wild fires.
Forecasters at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology expect little respite over the next few days, with the heat set to continue across southern Australia. It is not until the end of the week that things start to cool down, with temperatures becoming closer to average for the time of year.
