What happens to the human body in 49C heat? Australians are finding out

"Australia's southern states are scorching in extreme heat that could break temperature records in Victoria and South Australia on Tuesday. January and all-time records were forecast to be set in both states, with temperatures approaching 50C across inland areas, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. At Ouyen and Mildura in north-west Victoria, temperatures of 49C were forecast for Tuesday afternoon. If reached, they would break the state's all-time temperature record of 48.8C, set in Hopetoun on Black Saturday in 2009."

"What does exposure to extreme heat such as a temperature of 49C do to the body? In warm environments, the body dissipates heat through the skin, which is responsible for about 90% of heat loss. It does so by sweating and by increasing blood flow to the extremities. That involves increasing the amount of work that the heart does, says Dr Arnagretta Hunter, a cardiologist and senior lecturer at the Australian National University."

Southern Australia faces extreme heat with temperatures forecast to approach 50°C across inland Victoria and South Australia, threatening to break January and all-time records. Forecasts predicted 49°C in Ouyen and Mildura, potentially exceeding Victoria's 48.8°C record. Recorded readings reached 46.2°C in Ouyen and 44.8°C in Mildura by early afternoon, while Adelaide hit 40°C before 9:30am after overnight lows of 35°C. Heat is the leading weather-related cause of hospitalizations and causes more fatalities than other natural hazards. The body dissipates about 90% of heat through the skin via sweating and increased peripheral blood flow, increasing cardiac workload and raising risks of heart, kidney, geriatric and fall-related admissions. Ambient shade temperatures can underestimate experienced heat by up to 10°C depending on surface and radiant heat.

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