Australia Beats Hottest Day Record by Full Degree

Australia set a record for its hottest day ever for a second straight day, with an average national temperature of 41.9 degrees Celsius (107.4 Fahrenheit), a full degree higher than the previous mark, officials said Thursday.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the new nationally averaged maximum was reached Wednesday, topping the 40.9 degrees hit Tuesday, which beat the previous record of 40.3 C in January 2013.

The heatwave has exacerbated an unprecedented, drought-fueled series of bushfires ravaging large areas of Australia.