A weather station in the Kimberley just registered one of Australia's highest temperatures on record for this early in September.

An exceptionally hot air mass for this time of year has been lingering over northwestern Australia during the last few weeks. Last month, this air mass produced unprecedented August heat in multiple locations on a number of days.

Prior to 2020, the highest temperature ever reliably recorded in Australia during August was 40.0ºC at Kalumburu Mission in 1970. This year, three locations exceeded this temperature during August: 40.1ºC at West Roebuck on August 27th, 40.7ºC at Yampi Sound on August 22nd and 41.2ºC at West Roebuck on August 23rd.

This month, temperatures are continuing to break records. Mandora's 41.5ºC on Wednesday afternoon was the site's highest temperature on record this early in September. It's also likely to be one of the highest temperatures ever reliably recorded in Australia during the first 10 days of September.

Marble Bar (40.4ºC) and Port Hedland (40.2ºC) also had their hottest day on record for this early in September on Wednesday.

Northwestern Australia is typically the first part of the country to experience 40-degree heat after the middle of the year, before this typeof heat becomes more widespread across Australia during spring and summer.