Hot summer forecast as El Niño declared

Australia is facing a record Spring heat wave and health experts are saying it's important to prepare for the imminent hot summer.

KEY POINTS

• The Bureau of Meteorology has declared Australia has now entered an El Niño climate pattern.
• The climate driver is associated to hot, dry weather which emergency services fear will increase the risk of bushfires around the country.
• Emergency services are on high alert with hot temperatures across large parts of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory.