Adelaide's Record Heatwave started on March 3rd, 2008

Today (25th March) it is raining here; well less than that. We are still in a drought and will be lucky if we receive 5mm over the next 7 days.

I remember smelling the bushfires from 20 kilometers away in the air as I hung my washing out overnight. From the 2nd of March, it was too hot to hang out the washing in the sunlight. The soil was baked. All buildings and streets were radiating the heat built up over 15 days in a row over 35 degrees Celcius (37.5 degrees Celcius is about the equivalent of 100 degrees F). It was the longest heatwave recorded in any Australian Capital City and included 11 days where the maximum recorded temperature was over 38 degrees.

The ususal historical daily average for March is 26.2 degrees. It is also unseasonal Autumn weather.

Our elderly and homeless were hospitalised with heatstroke and dehydration. Our power use soared as most nights we needed airconditioners running. Sports events were cancelled. We were unable to let our children run under the sprinklers to cool off because of the water restrictions being imposed (water shortages and drought). School children went stir crazy not being allowed to play outside for 2 weeks.

Many of us have let our home gardens dry out & go brown to conserve water. But now even the market gardeners can't grow crops in this heat. Prices of fruit and vegetables will now increase accordingly but hardly any of it will make it back to the farmers.

The socio-economic costs of this heatwave have not yet been calculated.