Australia has equalled its hottest day on record after a coastal town reported temperatures of 50.7C (123.26F). The temperature in Onslow, Western Australia, on Thursday last week matched a record set in 1962 in South Australia. The average temperature in Onslow at this time of year is 36.5C. Two other towns, Mardie and Roebourne, reported temperatures of more than 50C on Thursday. According to a report on the BBC, one Roeburn resident, Mark Barratt, told ABC News that temperatures got so high the air conditioning in their office had stopped working. “The record-breaking heat comes just days after a report from the EU’s satellite system confirmed that the past seven years have been the hottest on record,” the BBC said. “The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began, and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.”

COVID is no laughing matter, but there is still room for humour. A scene in ‘The Simpsons’ TV series portrays the family’s home town of Springfield about to be wiped from the face of the Earth. Panicked worshippers hurry from the church next door to Moe’s Tavern. Moe’s regulars hurry into the church.

The cost of COVID is staggering at a national and local level. Apart from the human cost in illness and worse, businesses continue to be suffering. Supermarkets are reporting that some product lines are unavailable because of supply chain issues – some 20 per cent of workers who normally handle shipments are home in isolation. Farmers’ produce is being returned to its source after arrival at some stores because there aren’t enough people to unpack the food. All kinds of businesses have been hit, but closer to home in Tamworth, the pubs and hospitality venues that rely heavily on the annual Country Music Festival for a significant part of their annual revenue now learn the festival is postponed.