Australia sweats through hottest August on record, with temperatures 3C above average

The 2024 winter was the second hottest on record since weather data collection began in 1910

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Australia recorded its hottest August on record, with the national temperature 3C above average, as September kicked off with total fire bans in parts of New South Wales on Monday.

Bureau of Meteorology data showed average temperatures across the nation in August were 3.03C above the long-term average, easily beating the previous 2.56C record set in 2009.

Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email