Canberra, March 1 (IANS): Australia has experienced its hottest summer on record, the country's Bureau of Meteorology said on Friday.
The warm weather, 2.14 degrees Celsius above the long-term average, caused bushfires, power blackouts and a rise in hospital admissions, reports the BBC.
Wildlife also suffered, with reports of mass deaths of horses, bats and fish.
"The real standout was just how widespread and prolonged each heat wave was, almost everywhere was affected," climatologist Blair Trewin told the BBC.
Temperatures had exceeded the previous hottest summer in 2012-13.
Australia experienced at least five of its warmest days on record in January - the nation's hottest month ever.
The Bureau has confirmed that 2018 and 2017 were Australia's third and fourth-hottest years on record respectively.
Parts of eastern Australia continue to suffer through their worst drought in recent history.