Australia getting hotter and drier

SYDNEY, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A new climate change study in Australia predicted the country will be 5 degrees Celsius hotter and 40- to 80 percent drier by the year 2070.

The joint assessment by Australia's weather agencies and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization change report said cities like Adelaide, Darwin and Perth will see a significant increase in the number of days per year above 35 degrees Celsius -- 95 degrees Fahrenheit -- by 2030. The study forecasts an average rise in temperatures by then of 1 degree Celsius, compared to 1990 averages.

The report, Climate Change in Australia, also said higher greenhouse gas levels will mean more frequent days of extreme high temperatures and reduced rainfall all across Australia.

It said eastern areas will face 40 percent more drought months by 2070 while drought months will increase by 80 percent in southwestern Australia.