Extreme weather in Australia as temperatures soar and drop

Onslow recorded 50.7C on Thursday, matching a record set in South Australia in 1962

A small coastal town in Australia has matched the country's hottest recorded temperature ever.

Onslow in Western Australia reached a sweltering 50.7C on Thursday.

But it is expected to get even hotter on Friday, and many people are worried about the effect the heat may have on bush fires in the area.

The Bureau of Meteorology say that a build-up of hot air in the area had been caused by a lack of thunderstorms.

Luke Huntington from the Bureau said people should take "extra care to stay indoors with air conditioning, or if they have to be outdoors, to stay in the shade and keep up with fluids".

A house is seen surrounded by flood waters from the Mary River in the town of Tiaro, around 200 kilometres north of Brisbane.

Meanwhile, northern parts of the country were hit with heavy rainstorms and flooding as tropical cyclone Tiffany swept through the area.

Although the cyclone has now been downgraded, it is expected to once again build up pace and power and travel towards the central and eastern Australia in coming days.

While the western parts of the country were baking in high temperatures, the city of Darwin in the far north is experiencing an unseasonably cold January, with temperatures only hitting around 24.6C.

Usually this time of year is much warmer as it is summer in the country.

These extreme weather patterns are becoming more likely and more extreme because of human-induced climate change, with parts of Australia feeling the effects more than many other nations.