(Earther) – In what’s becoming an annual rite of passage, Australia is in the midst of another record-setting heat wave. It’s less the eye-popping temperatures (though it’s definitely going to be hot, with areas reaching 113 degrees Fahrenheit) and more the relentlessness of the heat and how much of the country is afflicted. Temperatures are already well above normal and will stay that way into the new year. The sweltering conditions are the latest sign that Australia is basically a window into the hellacious future we all face as the climate warms.

The heat began to blossom on Christmas Eve with temperatures up to more than 22 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) above normal in parts of the states of Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia. Christmas Day saw the heat intensify further, with a widespread area of temperatures anywhere between 11 to 22 degrees Fahrenheit (6 to 12 degrees Celsius) above normal. Western Australia got the worst of it in absolute temperatures, with much of the northeast portion of the state facing temperatures of 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius). READ MORE