29 die in Brisbane heatwave

Parts of Australia have been hit by extreme temperatures that have seen hundreds of people suffer from heatstroke and dehydration. In a country where most people are used to severe heat, 29 people in Brisbane alone are reported to have died suddenly in the last three days due to the hot weather, with temperatures in the city soaring to 44 degrees centigrade. According to The Times, the heat has been exacerbated by humidity as high as 70%. The newspaper quotes emergency services saying that the heat was posing a “significant medical emergency”, with hundreds being taken to hospital because of the weather conditions. One medical worker said the number of call-outs was 53 per cent above average, and that firefighters were being sent ahead of paramedic crews to administer first aid to those affected by the heat. Even many ambulance workers have been treated for dehydration, The Times reports. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad