April is the cruellest month for Sydney as it swelters in heatwave

Record-breaking heat in what should be autumn exerts toll on people and plant life

The current run of record temperatures, in the middle of what should be autumn, has proven an unusual phenomenon for Sydney's five million-odd residents. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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In Australia's largest city, a long run of unseasonably hot and dry weather has been having some peculiar effects in recent weeks on both its residents and its plant life.

It has been a record-breaking April so far, which has served as a stark reminder that Sydney will need to prepare for a likely future of higher temperatures and more extreme weather events as climate change takes its toll on Australia.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 17, 2018, with the headline April is the cruellest month for Sydney as it swelters in heatwave. Subscribe