Record March heat bakes northwest Australia

Unseasonably hot temperatures have been affecting northern parts of Western Australia this month, with Port Hedland registering a record 15 consecutive days above 40 degrees so far this March (and counting).

Unusually dry conditions due to a monsoon break has meant the region has experienced a prolonged stretch of intense heat, with the mercury pushing above 40 degrees for days on end, with not even coastal areas being spared.

This part of the country is well-known as being Australia's heat sink, with Marble Bar being arguably the country's hottest town, registering 161 consecutive days above 100 F (37.8c). However, the heat seen this month is very rare.

Port Hedland reached 45.3 degrees yesterday, just 0.6 degrees shy of its all-time March record. And with more than half the days this month exceeding 40 degrees already, the town is sitting more than three degrees above average and is likely to record its hottest March on record, exceeding the previous record by more than a degree.

Little relief is in sight, with the mercury expected to remain in the 40s into the first week of April.