Ignoring climate warnings locks Australia into a worst-case scenario | Mark Ogge

Heatwaves and fires in the northern hemisphere are a frightening portent of what's in store for Australia.Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our free news app, morning email briefing and daily news podcastThe unprecedented heatwave and fires engulfing Europe might seem a long way away, but they are a frightening portent of what's in store for Australia.Britain has just experienced its highest temperature on record, extreme conditions and fires are sweeping Spain, Portugal, France and Greece. But this is just the latest in a string of extreme events globally. In March, scientists were shocked by record temperatures at both poles, including temperatures up to 40C above normal in the Antarctic and 30C above normal in the Arctic. In May, devastating heatwaves across India, Pakistan and surrounding countries led to weeks where temperatures in some regions repeatedly hit almost 50C. This year has also seen extreme heatwaves in south Asia, China and the US. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...