Intense heatwaves directly threaten crops and native species. Here’s what we can do

Gregory Heath/CSIRO, CC BY-NC-ND

During Australia’s unprecedented heatwave in late January, air temperatures reached 50°C in inland South Australia.

Days of sustained heat and hot nights did real damage. A flying fox colony was all but wiped out in South Australia, while Western Australian mango growers suffered major crop losses as fruit literally boiled.