The Northern Territory has just experienced its hottest October since records began, with temperatures soaring nearly three degrees above the long-term average. The extreme heat fueled catastrophic bushfires that burned close to eight million hectares, an area larger than Tasmania and equal to more than a third of Victoria.
Meteorologists confirmed that maximum, minimum and mean temperatures all reached record highs across the Territory. Locations such as Rabbit Flat, Jervois and Victoria River Downs each recorded their hottest October days, with temperatures climbing above 42 degrees Celsius.
The record-breaking heat combined with dry lightning storms to create one of the most destructive fire seasons in recent memory. Fires ignited across the Barkly, the northern Gulf and the Tanami Desert, with several blazes merging into massive fire clusters. One of the largest began west of Tennant Creek, where four separate ignitions joined to form a fire that burned for weeks.
Authorities said the scale of destruction was unprecedented for October. Millions of hectares of rangeland were scorched, wildlife habitats were devastated and communities faced weeks of smoke and disruption.
Experts warn that with hotter and drier conditions expected to continue, the risk of further large-scale fires remains high in the months ahead. The disaster has renewed calls for stronger fire management strategies and long-term climate resilience planning across northern Australia.
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