Temperature extremes - in Australia and the Arctic

Australia: WA records hottest temperature...on earth!

The hottest temperature on earth yesterday occurred at Onslow Airport, Western Australia at a steamy 47 degrees.

Weather Watch NZ,

19 February, 2016

Australia has an extreme climate, and many world weather records are set in the Land Down Under.

The highest temperature in the southern hemisphere ever recorded was in the South Australian town of Oodnadatta in 1960, at a whopping 50.7 degrees.

 

James McHaleVerified account‏@JamesMcHale

Onslow Airport was the hottest place IN THE WORLD during the last 24 hours. Well done, you! Treat yourselves to an icy pole & a saline drip.

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12:38 AM - 19 Feb 2016

Australia may get heat awards, but it won't win any southern hemisphere records for cold, especially since we are neighbours with Antarctica. Nevertheless, the lowest temperature recorded in Australia was at Charlotte's pass in 1994 was still a teeth-chattering -23 degrees.

The honour of the highest wind gust ever recorded on earth was at Barrow Island off the northern WA coast when Severe Tropical Cyclone Olivia barred down on the region in April 1996. Wind gusts of 369km/h, 374km/h and 408 km/h were recorded, the latter being the world record. These speeds are comparable to that of F1 cars.

Tropical cyclones can also be attributed to breaking other records in Australia. When the deadliest cyclone ever to hit Australia, Tropical Cyclone Mahina, neared Bathurst Bay in 1899, a surge of 13 metres was recorded. The water level rose so much that dolphins were reported on top of 15 metre cliffs!

- Weatherzone.com.au

Image shows a 5-day forecast average beginning February 20, 2016. Temperatures over the Arctic Ocean are forecast to remain extremely high over these days, with anomalies in a large part of the Arctic Ocean at the top end of the scale, i.e. 20°C or 36°F. 
Arctic sea ice extent hasn't grown since February 9, in fact it has decreased. Last year (2015), maximum sea ice extent was reached on February 25. Could it be that this year's maximum extent already passed us by (i.e. on February 9)?
From the post 'Has maximum sea ice extent already been reached this year?', at: http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2016/02/has-maximum-sea-ice-extent-already-been-reached-this-year.html