Among the towns in South Australia state experiencing their hottest temperatures on record Tuesday was tiny Tarcoola in the region's far north, which reached 49 degrees Celsius. The city of Port Augusta recorded a temperature of 48.9 degrees Celsius, almost one degree higher than its previous record set on February 7, 2009 - the same day Victoria state endured the devastating Black Saturday bushfires that left 173 dead in the nation's worst natural disaster. The desert town of Coober Pedy - where some residents live underground to escape the harsh conditions - equalled its temperature record of 47.4 degrees Celsius.
In the state's capital Adelaide, where cycling's Tour Down Under and the cricket One Day International between Australia and India were being held, athletes sweltered through a maximum temperature of 41.9 degree Celsius.