Thousands hit by power cuts as Melbourne temperature soars

Thousands of Melburnians are without power and facing transport delays as the city's electricity grid and train services struggle to cope with the sweltering heat.

As of 3.30pm on Sunday 1167 homes were without power in south-east Melbourne alone, according to United Energy, with electricity in many areas not expected to be restored until Sunday evening.

Read the story from the Melbourne Age - “Thousands hit by power cuts as Melbourne temperature soars.”

Australia’s ‘deadliest natural hazard’: what’s your heatwave plan

Heatwaves are Australia’s deadliest natural hazard, but a recent survey has found that many vulnerable people do not have plans to cope with extreme heat.

Australians need better planning to cope with extreme heat.

Working with the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre and the Bureau of Meteorology, my colleagues and I surveyed 250 residents and 60 business managers in Western Sydney and the NSW North Coast.

We found that 45% of those at risk – including the elderly, ill and very young – did not proactively respond to heatwave warnings as they did not think it necessary or did not know what to do.

Read the piece on The Conversation by an Adjunct Fellow from Macquarie University,  Andrew Gissing, and a Risk Scientist from the Risk Frontiers Natural Hazards Research Centre at Macquarie University, Lucinda Coates - “Australia’s ‘deadliest natural hazard’: what’s your heatwave plan?”