The heat wave across Australia has spiked to unfathomable levels as the ominously-labeled “dome of heat” blankets the continent, sparking wildfires that have caused more than $60 million in damage and claimed more than 120 homes. The average temperature stretched above 39° Celsius (102° F) for six consecutive days, and local temperatures were so high that the Australian Bureau of Meteorology was inclined to add a new hue to their heat map — a deep purple shade — which indicates a temperature above 50° C (122° F).
Wildfires Scorch Australia As Temperatures Reach Record Highs
The heat wave across Australia has spiked to unfathomable levels as the ominously-labeled "dome of heat" blankets the continent, sparking wildfires that have caused more than $60 million in damage and claimed more than 120 homes
Tim Holmes / AP
Tammy Holmes shelters her grandchildren Charlotte Walker, 2, Esther Walker, 4, Liam Walker, 9, Matilda, 11, and Caleb Walker, 6, under a jetty as a wildfire rages nearby in Dunalley, Australia, Jan. 4, 2013. This photo was taken by Tammy Holme's husband Tim Holmes.