Record heat forces Australia to add new colors to temperature map

Faced with the possibility of unprecedented temperatures in Central Australia, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology has added new colors to its weather maps. Although the hottest temperature recorded in Australia is 123 degrees Fahrenheit, the new color scale reaches 129 degrees, as parts of Australia are expected to reach highs of 122-126 degrees next week. Last Monday was the hottest day on record, with an average nationwide temperature of 104.5 degrees. The Bureau’s climate services manager, Aaron Coutts-Smith says the current heatwave is “quite exceptional” because of its widespread intensity; records have been broken across all states and territories.