The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has officially declared an El Niño after months of heat extremes across the globe and dangerous fire conditions throughout parts of Australia.
The BOM announcement was made this afternoon as fires burned across the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales.
The BOM said two major climate drivers linked to hot, dry conditions are officially underway in Australia, prompting further warnings that extreme heatwaves will hit this summer.
After months of anticipation, the bureau has confirmed the world's most consequential climate driver, the El Niño weather pattern, is active over the Pacific for the first time in eight years.
Combined with the background warming of climate change, climate scientists have warned Australia could be in for a summer of severe heatwaves.
In Sydney, today marks the hottest three consecutive days ever recorded during September alongside the announcement of a total fire ban, catastrophic fire conditions for the south coast, and school closures in some areas.
At the same time abnormally high sea temperatures over recent months have triggered a red alert among scientists.
Climate Councillor Greg Mullins said climate change just adds to what El Niño conditions can bring, by driving even higher temperatures and extreme weather including strong winds that can turn fires into infernos.
Climate Council research director Simon Bradshaw said these extreme weather conditions are exactly what climate scientists have been warning everyone about for decades.
“In recent months we’ve seen southern and central Europe, the US, China, North Africa, and Japan all experience extreme heatwaves,” he said.
“India and South Korea have suffered deadly floods. Canada has just experienced its worst wildfire season on record, with scenes eerily reminiscent of Australia’s Black Summer.
“This is what climate change looks like.
“Climate change - driven by the burning of coal, oil and gas - is supercharging the impacts of El Niño events.”