Temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona, hit 43.3C (110F) for the 50th time this year on 28 August in what has been a much warmer than average summer.
The frequency of these hot days is unusual, as the previous record for the number of days exceeding 43.3C here was 2011 with 33 days. Persistent high pressure, along with an unusually dry year so far – Phoenix has seen less than 102mm (4in) of rainfall up to 29 August – has helped exacerbate the heat.
North-western Australia has also seen some notably warm temperatures recently, with 41.2C being recorded on 23 August at West Roebuck in the Kimberley region. This is the warmest winter temperature on record for the country, with 40.7C being reached the day before. Meanwhile, on 27 August, Melbourne had damaging gusts of up to 100mph. The stormy weather caused three deaths and left 95,000 without power.
August has also been warmer than average in Italy, but over the weekend northern areas had powerful thunderstorms caused by cooler air pushing south. Campomorone in Liguria saw 208mm of rainfall in just three hours causing flash flooding. There were also reports of large hailstones and a waterspout near Genoa as thunderstorms continued throughout the day.
