Outback Australians are being warned temperatures are hot enough to damage their electronics as heat records tumble.
Remote regions have been sweltering in extreme heat, with temperatures nudging 50 degrees Celsius in central, northern and western Australia.
At Lambina Station, 450 kilometres south of Alice Springs, cattle producer Gillian Fennell said temperatures had reached 47C this summer.
“One year the kids and I cooked an egg on a frying pan that had just been sitting on the ground, but we haven’t been outside much this year,” she said.
“We stay inside, get our jobs done early in the morning or leave them until late in the evening.”
Ms Fennell is keeping the chooks cool with a misting system, while the cattle have access to shade and water.
The Fennell family runs Lambina Station in SA’s far north. (Supplied: Gillian Fennell)
Temperature records smashed
Gascoyne Junction, 800km north of Perth, has broken Western Australia’s record for the hottest two days in a row, with temperatures of 49C and 49.2C recorded on Sunday and Monday.
The extreme heat reflects long-term climate changes across the country, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s 2024 annual climate statement.
Maximum temperatures were “very much above average” for most of Australia last year, with state and territory records broken across the country.
Temperatures were in the high 30s to high 40s across large parts of Australia for the week ending February 5. (Supplied: Bureau of Meteorology)
January temperatures in Alice Springs were 4.5C above the long-term average, with an average daily top of 41C.
The Arid Lands Environment Centre said the extreme heat was an example of the “escalating impacts of climate change in Central Australia”.
On Jimba Jimba Station, just outside Gascoyne Junction, Will Baston said the crew had resorted to working outside at night to cope in the extreme heat, just as they did last year.
“It’s impossible to [be] productive between the hours of 10am and probably 5pm, it’s basically pointless,” he said.
“You’re physically drained. Everything you touch is hot, even in the shade. So you’re trying to survive.”
Will Baston says the heat has made working during the day practically impossible. (Supplied: Jimba Jimba Station)
Mr Baston said overnight temperatures were still warm, at 34C.
Earlier this month, a 77-year-old woman died during hot weather in the region.
Camels a big issue in heat
Feral camels have long been a problem in outback Australia.
Ms Fennell said groups of up to 30 camels could drink cattle water troughs dry in one hit.
“Then you get an air lock in your pipelines, and that’s when things start to get really difficult with managing perishing of cattle,” she said.
Feral camels in central Australia. (ABC Alice Springs: Victoria Ellis)
“Another thing with camels is they’re really big and strong, so if the trough isn’t putting out enough water quickly enough, they will smash things to try and get more water.
“They will also chase cattle away from tanks and troughs and they can get quite aggressive.”
Tech can get too hot to function
Ms Fennell said cameras were used to monitor water points on the station, but in extreme heat, technology could malfunction.
Ms Fennell says camels can chase cattle away from water troughs. (Supplied: Gillian Fennell)
“They’re rated to a certain temperature, but none of those temperatures account for what actually happens in Central Australia,” she said.
University of Melbourne associate professor Behzad Rismanchi said most commercial electronics were designed to operate in temperatures up to 40C.
“In extreme heat, above 45C to 50C, sensitive electronics can overheat, shut down or suffer long-term damage,” he said.
Find ways to stay cool
Back at Jimba Jimba Station, Mr Baston said people needed more strategies for mitigating heat.
Will Baston of Jimba Jimba Station. (ABC News: Kate Ferguson)
“If you really can’t go outside for a long period of time, you need ways to stay sane, especially if it’s a good chunk of time,” he said.
“If the minimum is over 34 for a long period of time, that really knocks around humans and animals and plant life as well.”
ABC Emergency has tips for staying well during a heatwave, including keeping heat out of your house and keeping yourself cool.
