New research suggests it's getting hotter, faster. A new study checked BOM weather stations and 274 test sites in Greater Western Sydney. The site results were hotter than BOM reports. Some sites were hotter for 25 days. In the summer of 2019, the Cumberland site had 15 days of 40C. BOM showed 1 day.
The main reason is some suburbs lack BOM weather stations. These gaps are from how BOM records weather. BOM devices need at least this much space or light for example. Parts of Greater Western Sydney are a urban heat island. "We... trap the heat in our cities," said Jua Cilliers, a professor of urban planning. Greater Western Sydney is hotter on average than the city's coastline. Dark roads, black roofs and little green space see more heat for longer. "That means you can have... 45C in some places. And that's a risk if you're not prepared to handle 45C," Professor Pfautsch said.
Heat is the main cause of death and hospitalisation from natural disasters. The Climate Council predicts twice the extreme heat by 2050 under current conditions. This is a test for cities across Australia. More strong heat means more deaths and hospital admissions.
The BOM declined to comment on the research.