Ours was the hottest city on

Earth yesterday - and I don't recommend it.
As I mentioned in yesterday's post I actually managed to go out first thing. The rest of the day was spent indoors - much to the frustration of both myself and the Senior Cat.
I was worried about the Senior Cat. Even with the ancient air-conditioning system struggling on because we had the hose spraying litre upon litre of precious water on it he felt the heat. That is the only way it can function in temperatures over 40'C - and it was that hot well into the evening. It went to a low of 34'C overnight. The Senior Cat went to bed with a fan on low - for the second night in a row.
At least I can watch the Senior Cat. He is sensible in that he made no attempt to go out and he drinks plenty of water. So do I.
He worries about his garden - and, despite our best efforts, much of it is simply not going to survive the heat. We have watered things in the early morning and in the evening but the heat has been so extreme that things like tomatoes simply don't survive.
We are keeping our little patch of lawn at the front of the house as green as we can. There is a good reason for this. It keeps the front of the house cooler but, more importantly, the water seeps through further underground and prevents the concrete slab on which the house rests from cracking. The soil on which most houses here are built is not good. It can, in extreme heat, dry out to a point where it will contract or shift. Houses can crack badly.
Other things can crack too - tempers among them. People have to go to work in this heat. Many employers are encouraging people to take leave days or work from home if they can but by no means everyone can do that.
And some people have hot jobs. It is nice to have fresh bread but consider the people who have to bake it. The little bakery in our shopping centre bakes on the spot. In winter the warmth and the smell is wonderful. Yesterday it would just have been a reminder of how very hot it was.
No doubt they would say they were lucky compared with our fire fighters. They have, so far, has to deal with fires that have burnt out over 100,000 acres.
This morning I went out first thing to fill the water bowls for the animals who come in and out of our yard. There was a young koala drinking (yes, they do drink in extreme heat) from one of the containers. It saw me and I wondered if it would scamper off before it had finished but thirst must have got the better of it. I turned the hose on with the spray nozzle attached and wet the ground near it. It turned and looked at me so I moved the spray a little closer. It took a shower, had some more to drink and then disappeared over the fence and along the street - probably to a nearby gum tree.
We are promised a "cooler" change today. Personally I want a cold change. I think even the koalas will welcome it.