Weather tracker: Australia bakes in spring heatwave while US hit by 14 storms

The spring heatwave in Australia is set to continue this week, with record temperatures expected for inland areas of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. In Sydney, temperatures have already reached 34.2C, which is more than 12C higher than the September average. The Bureau of Meteorology anticipates that temperatures will continue to rise significantly on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures possibly reaching as high as 16C above the seasonal average.

Forecasters are warning of drier and warmer conditions than average for much of Australia over the summer, linked to the strengthening of an El Niño weather event. This will bring an increased risk of extreme weather phenomena over the summer such as wildfires and extreme droughts.

In America, the National Hurricane Center has named its 14th storm of this Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November each year, as Tropical Storm Nigel. This follows Hurricane Lee’s recent impact on eastern Canada and Maine, which caused widespread power outages, affected businesses and displaced thousands from their homes last week before clearing into the Atlantic on Monday.

As of Sunday morning, Nigel was located 1,180 miles to the east of Bermuda and had sustained winds of about 50mph, with the National Hurricane Center flagging the possibility of a rapid intensification to become a category 3 hurricane with winds of 111mph or more. The exact path of Tropical Storm Nigel remains uncertain, though it is currently moving north-northwestward away from the US, posing no immediate threat of landfall. There is the possibility that the remnants of Nigel will affect the UK’s weather later this week.

Across South America, further bouts of heavy rain are expected across the south of Brazil this week. The state of Rio Grande do Sul will see frequent spells of rain through the week, with cumulative rainfall totals of about 150-200mm possible by the end of the week. The region experienced torrential rain and strong winds earlier this month, with reportedly more than 300mm of rain falling over 24 hours on Monday 4 September. The floods caused by this event have forced thousands from their homes and caused at least 47 weather-related fatalities.