Australia experiences second hottest September on record as El Niño and climate crisis combine

Key points

• Australia recorded its second-hottest September on record, with minimum night-time temperatures also the highest since 1910. Every state and the Northern Territory ranked in the top six warmest Septembers, while alpine areas broke temperature records.
• Snow depth in Kosciuszko National Park fell to zero for the first time in September since 1954.
• Climate scientists attribute the extreme heat to climate change and the strengthening El Niño.