Image copyright RALPH TURNER Image caption Rangers found the horses in a dried-up waterhole in the Northern Territory

An extreme heatwave in Australia has led to the deaths of more than 90 wild horses in the outback, authorities say.

Rangers found dead and dying animals in a dried-up waterhole near Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory, last week.

About 40 of the animals had already died from dehydration and starvation. Surviving horses were later culled.

It comes amid record-breaking heat, with temperatures hitting 49.5C north of Adelaide in South Australia.

The mercury rose to 47.7C in the city itself on Thursday, breaking a record set in 1939.

How hot is it?

Australia has experienced a fortnight of extreme heat that has broken dozens of records across the nation.

More than 13 towns in the state of South Australia have seen heat records eclipsed.

Emergency services in more than 13 districts are on alert for fear of possible bushfires.

Meanwhile in Alice Springs, near where the horses were found, temperatures have exceeded 42C for almost two weeks - more than 6C above January's typical average, according to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

WARNING: Readers may find some images in this article disturbing

How have animals been affected?

Rangers came across the horses after their absence was noted by a remote community, said local authority Central Land Council (CLC).

A local resident, Ralph Turner, also visited the site and posted photos online, describing the scene as "carnage".

Image copyright RALPH TURNER Image caption The animals were found in the Apwerte Uyerreme waterhole

"I was devastated. I'd never seen anything like it - all the bodies," he told the BBC.

"I couldn't believe something like that had happened."

Another local, Rohan Smyth, told the ABC that water was "normally there" and that the horses "just had nowhere to go".

The council said it had organised a cull of the remaining horses because they were found close to death.

Image copyright RALPH TURNER Image caption The region has experienced prolonged extreme heat

They also planned to cull another 120 feral horses, donkeys and camels "dying from thirst" in a neighbouring community, said CLC director David Ross.

"With climate change well and truly upon us, we expect these emergencies to occur with increasing frequency and nobody is truly prepared and resourced to respond to them," Mr Ross wrote in a press release.

Several other wildlife species have also suffered, with reports of mass deaths of native bats in New South Wales.

Up to a million fish have also been found dead along river banks in the drought-affected state.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Locals in New South Wales are angry about the mass deaths of fish

The government has launched a review into the fish deaths.

How have people been coping?

South Australia health authorities said 44 people had come in for treatment in the space of 24 hours due to the extreme temperatures.

Officials nationwide have issued health warnings urging people to stay indoors and minimise physical activity, with heightened concerns for the elderly, the chronically ill and children.

Earlier this month, officials confirmed that 2018 and 2017 had been Australia's third and fourth hottest years on record respectively.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption People have flocked to the beach to help cope with the heat

The bureau's State of the Climate 2018 report said climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat events.

How is climate change affecting Australia?

Even if global temperatures are contained to the Paris accord limit of a 2C rise above pre-industrial levels, scientists believe Australia is facing a dangerous new normal.

Parts of eastern Australia suffered their worst drought in recent history last year, while thousands of Australians fled their homes when bushfires swept through Queensland in November.

The country has committed to reducing its emissions by 26-28% on 2005 levels by 2030, under the Paris climate agreement.

But in November, school students nationwide left class in protest at what they said was a response the government's inadequate action on climate change.

According to the UN's 2018 emissions gap report, Australia's climate policy saw no improvement in 2017, and emission levels for 2030 are projected to be above target.</s>ADELAIDE, Australia — Adelaide sweltered through the highest temperature ever recorded by a major Australian city on Thursday, peaking at a searing 46.6 degrees Celsius as the drought-parched nation heads toward potentially the hottest January on record.

The South Australia state capital city of 1.3 million people beat its previous 80-year-old record of 46.1 C set on Jan. 12, 1939, and records tumbled in smaller towns across the state.

Adelaide’s Red Lion Hotel promised free beer if the mercury topped 45 C but only while it exceeded that benchmark. Bar manager Stephen Firth said the pub ran dry after giving away more than 700 litres of beer over more than two hours.

“We probably thought it would come around one day, but we didn’t think it would be for such a prolonged period,” Firth said.

Adelaide beat the heat record set by Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, of 46.4 C set in 2009.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rob Sharpe said he would not be surprised if January becomes Australia’s hottest on record with heatwave conditions likely to persist.

Last year was Australia’s third-warmest on record.

Heatwave conditions combined with a prolonged drought across much of Australia’s southeast have led to scores of major wildfires during the southern hemisphere summer.
• With Australia’s most populous state entirely in drought, farmers have been given the all-clear to shoot kangaroos
• Police find body of German tourist under a tree in the searing heat of the Australian Outback</s>[ADELAIDE] Temperatures in southern Australia neared 48 degrees Celsius on Thursday, shattering previous records as sizzling citizens received free beer to help weather a heatwave of historic proportions.

The Bureau of Meteorology reported temperatures of 47.9 deg C north of Adelaide, while inside the city temperatures reached 46.2 deg C, a fraction above a record that had stood since 1939.

Adelaide residents are used to sweltering days during the southern hemisphere summer, but even they could find very little relief from the oppressive temperatures.

More than 13 towns across South Australia have smashed their own heat records, with some of the state forecast to see temperatures of 50 deg C by the end of the day.

While thousands flocked to the beach to cool off in the surf, hundreds have taken to shopping centres to stay out of the heat.

At the Red Lion Hotel, publicans gave a free beer to each of their patrons while the temperature remained above 45 deg C.

Around one hundred people lined up for their free drink for over one hour.

But the temperatures are also testing municipal services, with SunCity buses forced to cut their services, leaving commuters searching for trams or trains to get home.

Meanwhile, emergency services are on the alert as more than 13 districts are under threat of possible bushfires.

Power consumption is expected to peak in the afternoon, risking drops in voltage known as brownouts, but premier Steven Marshall insisted the grid could cope with the heatwave conditions.</s>Sky News said Thursday would be very hot in the country's east and centre. Pic: Sky News Australia

Australia's summer continues to break records, with parts of the country sweltering in temperatures approaching 50C (122F).

The country has already seen heatwaves this month and it was home to the world's top 15 temperatures on one day earlier this week.

The highest of these was 49.1C (120.4F) in Tarcoola, a town in the north of South Australia.

As the Australia Day holiday weekend approached, many across the country were bracing for more of the same.

Some of the most extreme temperatures were seen in South Australia, where the state capital Adelaide had reached 42C (107.6F) by midday and Port Augusta, about 185 miles north, had reached 46.3C (115.34F).

Local newspaper editor Dylan Smith tweeted a photo of a temperature gauge on a Port Augusta shop showing 50C but this had not been confirmed by meteorologists.

Adelaide's all time record of 46.1C (115F) set in 1939 was under threat but in other parts of the state, records tumbled as towns and cities saw their temperatures soar into the high 40s.

Among them, Port Lincoln reached 47C (116.6F) beating its previous record of 46.1C and Snowtown had 47.3C (117.1F), beating the record of 46C (115F).

SA Health said 44 people had gone to the state's hospital emergency departments with heat-related illnesses, 12 of those were admitted for further treatment.

In Victoria, Melbourne was looking likely to break its record for overnight temperatures, according to Richard Russell, from the state's Bureau of Meteorology.

He told the Australian Broadcasting Corp that temperatures there would be "nothing short of oppressive", adding that Thursday night could see a low of 29C (84.2F). The city's overnight record is 30.6C (87F).

As if the heat was not bad enough, some 2,700 households in rural Victoria were left without electricity due to a power line fault which was expected to take several hours to repair.

The fault forced the closure of public swimming pools and councils in the two towns - Nagambie and Avenel - set up relief centres for people trying to escape the heat.

Extreme temperatures have also increased the fire risk, with dozens raging, particularly in Victoria and on the island state of Tasmania.

Total fire bans were also in place for parts of New South Wales and South Australia.</s>Temperature records have tumbled across South Australia, with the city of Adelaide experiencing its hottest day on record, as the second heatwave in as many weeks hit southern parts of Australia.

Adelaide hit 46.6C on Thursday afternoon, the hottest temperature recording in any Australian state capital city since records began 80 years ago.

The Red Lion, a pub in the city’s Elizabeth North suburb, promised to hand out free beers if the mercury rose above 45C. By 1pm, there was a line out the door and round the block.

In Port Augusta, 300km north-west, an all-time record was also set, as the city hit 49.1C.

Last week, temperatures in Adelaide, home to 1.3 million people, hit 45C, sending homelessness shelters into a “code red”, and sparking fears of another mass fish death in the Menindee Lakes in the neighbouring state of New South Wales.

In central and western Australia, local authorities were forced to carry out an emergency animal cull, shooting 2,500 camels – and potentially a further hundred feral horses – who were dying of thirst.

On Friday, 17 records were broken across South Australia, either of all-time temperatures or January records.

Sternhouse Bay (45.6C), Port Lincoln (47C), Minnipa (47.3), and Snowtown (47.3C) were among the hottest, with Snowtown beating its previous record by 1.3C.

Thursday’s heat is set to spread across the states of Victoria and New South Wales, just days after an earlier record-breaking heatwave passed across the country.

Last week, a dozen heat records fell, with nine alone in NSW. The small NSW outpost of Noona, around 800km west of Sydney, recorded the country’s highest ever overnight minimum temperature of 35.9C.

The back-to-back heatwaves are part of a summer that the Bureau of Meteorology predicted as being hotter and drier than average, partially as a result of climate change.



On Friday, Victoria will become the “hottest place in Australia”, according to Jonathan How from the bureau.

The cities of Mildura, Swan Hill and Echuca are set for 46C, which could break records.

In Melbourne, as Novak Djokovic and Lucas Pouille settle in for the semi-finals of the Australian Open, the maximum temperature will be 43C, with 44C in some suburbs.</s>Adelaide has sweltered through the highest temperature ever recorded by a major Australian city, peaking at a searing 46.6 degrees Celsius (115.9 degrees Fahrenheit) as the drought-parched nation heads toward potentially the hottest January on record.

The South Australia state capital city of 1.3 million people on Thursday beat its previous 80-year-old record of 46.1 C (115 F) set on Jan. 12, 1939, and records tumbled in smaller towns across the state.

Adelaide beat the heat record set by Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, of 46.4 C (115.5 F) set in 2009.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rob Sharpe said he would not be surprised if January becomes Australia's hottest on record with heatwave conditions likely to persist.

Last year was Australia's third-warmest on record.</s>A beachgoer sits in the sun on Glenelg Beach in Adelaide, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. Adelaide sweltered through the highest temperature ever recorded by a major Australian city on Thursday, peaking at a searing 46.6 degrees Celsius (115.9 degrees Fahrenheit) as the drought-parched nation heads toward potentially the hottest January on record. (Kelly Barnes/AAP Image 



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ADELAIDE, Australia — Adelaide sweltered through the highest temperature ever recorded by a major Australian city on Thursday, peaking at a searing 115.9 degrees Fahrenheit as the drought-parched nation heads toward potentially the hottest January on record.



The South Australia state capital city of 1.3 million people beat its previous 80-year-old record of 115 F set on Jan. 12, 1939, and records tumbled in smaller towns across the state.



Adelaide’s Red Lion Hotel promised free beer if the mercury topped 113 F but only while it exceeded that benchmark. Bar manager Stephen Firth said the pub ran dry after giving away more than 700 liters (185 gallons) of beer over more than two hours.



“We probably thought it would come around one day, but we didn’t think it would be for such a prolonged period,” Firth said.



Adelaide beat the heat record set by Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, of 46.4 C (115.5 F) set in 2009.



Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rob Sharpe said he would not be surprised if January becomes Australia’s hottest on record with heat wave conditions likely to persist.



Last year was Australia’s third-warmest on record.



Heat wave conditions combined with a prolonged drought across much of Australia’s southeast have led to scores of major wildfires during the southern hemisphere summer.



Like this? Click to receive free updates</s>Australia's summer heatwave has set new records as temperatures of 120F (49.5C) were recorded in the south of the country.

Adelaide recorded 118F (47.7C) heat on Thursday afternoon, smashing the previous record of 115F (46.1C) which was set in January 1939.

An even higher temperature of 120F (49.5C) was measured north of the city amid extreme heat warnings in the state of South Australia.

Forecasters expect that temperatures will start to drop on Friday with possible thunderstorms in Adelaide.

Thousands of Australians have headed to the beach to cool off in the surf and many others have taken to shopping centres to stay out of the extreme heat.

The heatwave has brought power cuts and sparked fears of devastating bushfires while dozens of people have needed emergency treatment for heat-related illnesses.

At the Red Lion Hotel in South Australia, publicans gave a free beer to each of their patrons while the temperature remained above 113F (45C).

Health authorities were also forced to issue a public warning to avoid contact with hundreds of heat-stressed bats falling from trees in parkland areas.

Authorities in central Australia said they had to cull more than 50 feral horses, after they found 90 dead or dying wild brumbies near a dried-up water hole.

'With climate change well and truly upon us, we expect these emergencies to occur with increasing frequency and nobody is truly prepared and resourced to respond to them,' said David Ross, director of indigenous representative body the Central Land Council.

At Adelaide Zoo tortoises have been getting cool water wipedowns, rock wallabies have been given ice to lick and hyenas have taken refreshing dips.

But the temperatures are also testing municipal services, with SunCity buses forced to cut their services, leaving commuters searching for trams or trains to get home.

Emergency services are on the alert as more than 13 districts are under threat of possible bushfires.

Meanwhile, a total fire ban was issued further south in the island state of Tasmania, where authorities continued to battle blazes.

The heatwave began last week and saw some Australian towns among the hottest places on Earth.

As many as a million fish were discovered dead last week along the banks of a major river system in drought-battered eastern Australia.</s>ADELAIDE, Australia — Adelaide sweltered through the highest temperature ever recorded by a major Australian city on Thursday, peaking at a searing 115.9 degrees Fahrenheit as the drought-parched nation heads toward potentially the hottest January on record.

The South Australia state capital city of 1.3 million people beat its previous 80-year-old record of 115 F set on Jan. 12, 1939, and records tumbled in smaller towns across the state.

Adelaide’s Red Lion Hotel promised free beer if the mercury topped 113 F but only while it exceeded that benchmark. Bar manager Stephen Firth said the pub ran dry after giving away more than 700 liters (185 gallons) of beer over more than two hours.

“We probably thought it would come around one day, but we didn’t think it would be for such a prolonged period,” Firth said.

Adelaide beat the heat record set by Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, of 46.4 C (115.5 F) set in 2009.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rob Sharpe said he would not be surprised if January becomes Australia’s hottest on record with heat wave conditions likely to persist.

Last year was Australia’s third-warmest on record.

Heat wave conditions combined with a prolonged drought across much of Australia’s southeast have led to scores of major wildfires during the southern hemisphere summer.</s>The Bureau of Meteorology reported temperatures of 49.5 Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) north of Adelaide, while inside the city temperatures reached 47.7 Celsius, breaking a record that had stood since 1939.

Adelaide residents are used to sweltering days during the southern hemisphere summer, but even they struggled with the oppressive temperatures.

More than 13 towns across South Australia have smashed their own heat records.

The state's health authorities early Thursday reported that 44 people had received emergency treatment for heat-related illnesses in the past 24 hours.

"Remember to check on elderly friends, relatives and neighbours, and those who are unwell," the state emergency services tweeted.

Health authorities were also forced to issue a public warning to avoid contact with hundreds of heat-stressed bats falling from trees in parkland areas.

Authorities in central Australia said they had to cull more than 50 feral horses, after they found 90 dead or dying wild brumbies near a dried-up water hole.

Shocking images of dozens of dead horses strewn across the dry ground began to circulate on social media this week.

"With climate change well and truly upon us, we expect these emergencies to occur with increasing frequency and nobody is truly prepared and resourced to respond to them," David Ross, director of indigenous representative body the Central Land Council, said in a statement.

While thousands of people have flocked to beaches to cool off in the surf, hundreds have taken to shopping centres to stay out of the heat.

At the Red Lion Hotel in South Australia, publicans gave a free beer to each of their patrons while the temperature remained above 45 degrees.

Around one hundred people lined up for their free drink for over one hour.

At Adelaide Zoo tortoises have been getting cool water wipedowns, rock wallabies have been given ice to lick and hyenas have taken refreshing dips.

But the temperatures are also testing municipal services, with SunCity buses forced to cut their services, leaving commuters searching for trams or trains to get home.

Emergency services are on the alert as more than 13 districts are under threat of possible bushfires.

Meanwhile, a total fire ban was issued further south in the island state of Tasmania, where authorities continued to battle blazes.

Parts of the southeastern state of Victoria were also sweltering through temperatures above 40 degrees.

The soaring temperatures follow a heatwave last week that saw Australian towns among the hottest places on Earth.

As many as a million fish were discovered dead last week along the banks of a major river system in drought-battered eastern Australia, with thousands more found killed some 900 kilometres (560 miles) away in the north of New South Wales on Monday.

The government has launched a review into the mass fish kill.

National Broadcaster ABC reported that farmers in Western Australia have been forced to cull at least 2,500 feral camels gathering in "plague proportions" in the past month.

Regarded as pests, the ABC said many have wondered onto properties where temperatures had reached 50 Celsius this summer, where they are draining valuable water supply and feed for cattle.

Explore further: Australian towns among hottest spots on Earth as heatwave sizzles
The city of Adelaide, South Australia, reaches its highest maximum temperature since 1939, reaching 46.6 °C (115.9 °F) at around 3:36pm local time. This is the highest recorded temperature in any Australian state capital. The high temperatures have proven fatal for significant numbers of local animals.