February days are hotter now than 50 years ago, pushing the heat beyond our summer months
Dubbo's typical February day is getting hotter, explains Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick. Plus, local student Taylor Collins explains how summer heat is affecting her community.
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Dubbo is in for a wet start to the weekend, with light showers and a top of 26 degrees forecast for Saturday, clearing to a partly cloudy 30 degree Sunday.
Dubbo's February temperatures change from year to year.
However, data from the Bureau of Meteorology shows that a typical February day is more than one degree warmer than it was 50 years ago.
In the early 1970s, an average February day was around 31 degrees.
Nowadays, it's more like 33 degrees.
Did you know?
Dubbo's warming patterns are consistent with global climate change trends.
The main cause of global warming is an increase in greenhouse gases in the air - particularly carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide is produced when we burn fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil, mostly for energy production and transportation.
Carbon dioxide has been increasing since the industrial revolution began in the 18th century.
Voices from your community
Dubbo student and community volunteer Taylor Collins found the searing summer heat kept her inside more.
"I hardly leave the house now. I cannot stand the heat and ten minutes in the sun means extreme sunburn for me," she said.
"I feel summer is lasting forever and the seasons are starting much later, the summer heat runs into winter.
"When I was a kid, summer was hot and we would go to the pool - but we wouldn't suffer.
"Now temperatures are soaring and summer temperatures are reaching 46 degrees-plus which is unbearable."
Community voices like Taylor's tell us how residents and business owners in Dubbo feel about their local climate. If you would like to contribute your voice to our column, you can fill out our 5-minute survey here.
Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick is a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales.
This column is part of a collaboration between the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub and News Corp to deliver hyperlocal weather and climate information.
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