Australia may face a summer of heatwaves, even without El Niño

Bureau of Meterology says most of the country is likely to be warmer than average, but El Nino pattern is hard to predict with certainty

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Australians should prepare for a summer of heatwaves even if an El Nino does not take hold this year, a senior climate scientist at the Bureau of Meteorology has said.

Dr Karl Braganza, the bureau's national manager for climate services, said this year could be significant in terms of heatwaves and fires", but was unlikely to repeat the horrors of the 2019-20 black summer bushfires.

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