Australia set to see temperatures soaring over 50 degree

As much of India shivers under unprecedented cold wave, Australia is experiencing extreme heat, forcing the weather bureaus to upgrade temperature measuring scales.

Forecasting officers across the nation are coming up with new colours on the weather chart to reflect new high forecast as the weathermen predicted that the scales will soar above 50 degree Celsius.

Intense heat has already triggered raging bush fires, which have assumed "catastrophic conditions" that are threatening homes and have sparked widespread evacuations.

David Jones, head of the bureau of Meteorology -climate monitoring and prediction unit, was quoted by 'The Age' as warning that temperatures would soar "to record high of more than 50 degrees in the next few days."

Weathermen have instituted a new pink colour code to feature temperatures from 52 to 54 degrees. Australia's all time record temperature is 50.7 degrees, set in January 1960 at Oodnadatta in South Australia.

The raging heat has triggered more than 100 bush fires in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state. Prime Minister Julia Gillard warned this week that Australia would see more extreme events due to global warming.

"Whilst you would not put any one event down to climate change, weather doesn't work like that, we do know over time that as a result of climate change we are going to see more extreme weather events and conditions," Gillard said.

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