THE weather may have cooled down now, but this summer has been Australia’s hottest on record, the Bureau of Meterology confirmed today. 

Average temperatures across the country reached 28.6°C, 1.1°C above normal, exceeding the previous record set in the summer of 1997-98 by more than 0.1°C.

A new daytime maximum temperature record was also set at 35.7°C, or 1.4°C above normal, and 0.2°C above the 1982/83 record.

The Bureau says the most extreme heat occurred in the first three weeks of January, during an exceptionally widespread and prolonged heatwave.

The highest temperature recorded during the heatwave was at Moomba, South Australia at 49.6°C.

Of the 112 locations used in long-term climate monitoring, 14 had their hottest day on record during the summer of 2012/13 – the largest number in any single summer. Record temperatures were also set in two capital cities; Sydney with 45.8°C and Hobart with 41.8°C.

A new record was also set for the number of consecutive days the average maximum daily temperature for Australia exceeded 39°C – seven days between 2 and 8 January 2013, almost doubling the previous record of four consecutive days in 1973.

Nationally, summer rainfall was at its lowest since 2004-05. Victoria had its driest summer since 1984-85 and South Australia since 1985-86.

This summer follows a pattern of extremely hot summers in various parts of the world over the past few years.

For further information go to www.bom.gov.au/climate/change/