Heat records set in March across central and northern Australia

March 2015 is not even over, but the month has seen record temperatures in central and northern parts of Australia.

March broke heat records in some parts of Australia.

March 2015 is not yet over, but has already seen Australia’s hottest ever observed temperature for the second half of March.

March 19 had the hottest area-averaged March day on record for Northern Territory and Queensland, when Birdsville recorded 46.5C

The same day, Moomba in South Australia had the hottest recorded temperature for the state this far into autumn, at 45.4C

The exceptionally hot weather in central and northern Australia prompted the Bureau of Meteorology to issue a Special Climate Statement.

“March is a somewhat unusual month for extreme heat in the northern tropics,” the Special Climate Statement says.

“The timing of the event’s peak in the second half of the month is particularly noteworthy as the potential for extreme heat normally declines rapidly through March in central and southern Australia.”