<p>There are 2 causes of record high daytime temperatures: insolation and subsidence. As air is forced to subside, heat of compression adds to insolation. This happens at the poleward margins of the tropical Hadley cells, at or near the latitude where the deserts of Australia are located. Cloud cover (or dustiness in deserts) contributes to record high nighttime temperatures by trapping infrared radiation from the Earth.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-27T18:39:18.273Z
An extreme specific event is likely when general causes coincide at the same time and/or are unusually strong.
Jack Denur
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-26T23:29:02.093Z
2017-09-26T23:29:02.093Z
Jack Denur
<p>Spring/September temperature records on Australia's East coast are set to tumble in the coming days, due to a heatwave, as described <a href="http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-21/bom-forecasts-sydney-heatwave-with-36c-expected-on-saturday/8965442?pfmredir=sm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>.</p>

<p>So the hot air is being pulled from the interior of the continent to the coast. That makes sense. But some of the towns in the interior of the country are setting temperature records as well. So what is the explanation for why the air in the interior is the hottest on record? What is the ultimate cause of the hot air?</p>

<temperature>
Where is the hot air for Australia's record spring heatwave coming from?
user2754486
# Where is the hot air for Australia's record spring heatwave coming from?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-09-26)

Spring/September temperature records on Australia's East coast are set to tumble in the coming days, due to a heatwave, as described [here](http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-21/bom-forecasts-sydney-heatwave-with-36c-expected-on-saturday/8965442?pfmredir=sm).

So the hot air is being pulled from the interior of the continent to the coast. That makes sense. But some of the towns in the interior of the country are setting temperature records as well. So what is the explanation for why the air in the interior is the hottest on record? What is the ultimate cause of the hot air?

**Tags:** temperature


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-09-26. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

There are 2 causes of record high daytime temperatures: insolation and subsidence. As air is forced to subside, heat of compression adds to insolation. This happens at the poleward margins of the tropical Hadley cells, at or near the latitude where the deserts of Australia are located. Cloud cover (or dustiness in deserts) contributes to record high nighttime temperatures by trapping infrared radiation from the Earth.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: An extreme specific event is likely when general causes coincide at the same time and/or are unusually strong.  

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