Heatwave
Temperatures to continue to soar until later this week
Several provinces, including Gauteng, are battling scorching temperatures - with the mercury reaching 37 degrees in some cities.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the new nationally averaged maximum was reached Wednesday, topping the 40.9 degrees hit Tuesday, which beat the previous record of 40.3 C in January 2013.
The World Meterological Organization said global temperatures so far this year were 1.1°C above the pre-industrial average between 1850-1900.
The South African Weather Service has issued a warning for heatwave conditions with extreme temperatures expected from Thursday until Sunday.
Extreme temperatures were expected from Thursday until Sunday.
The South African Weather Service said temperatures were likely to peak from Wednesday with the mercury expected to hit 40°C in some areas.
Meanwhile, over 200 people have been displaced after a fire in Daspoort, west of Pretoria
The Department of Water and Sanitation on Monday said the hot weather combined with a lack of rain in Gauteng was contributing to the rapid decline in the level of the Vaal Dam.
The South African Weather Service said Monday was the hottest day of the week, with temperatures in parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo having reached highs of 42 degrees.
The weather service said the first heatwave is expected from Saturday with temperatures predicted to reach highs of 37°C.
Gauteng and other parts of the country were experiencing heatwave conditions with temperatures likely to peak at around 37 degrees this weekend.
Some businesses cannot afford backup generators and remain at the mercy of the power cuts.
The department said the lack of sufficient rainfall over the past few months and high temperatures caused levels to decline weekly.
In Gauteng, temperatures are expected to start rising from Friday and peak on Saturday at around 37 degrees celsius.
Greenland’s ice sheet is a key part of the global climate system and its melting would lead to rising sea levels and unstable weather.
Belgium registered an all-time high of 38.9 degrees Celsius at the Kleine-Brogel military base, beating a record that dated back to June 1947.
The World Meteorological Organisation said this week that 2019 was on track to be among the world’s hottest years, and 2015-2019 would then be the hottest five-year period on record.
European countries have reached record-breaking temperatures amidst an extreme heatwave that has swept across parts of the continent.
Hundreds of people have died in the eastern state of Bihar, due to scorching temperatures in the country's second-longest heatwave on record.