Australian heat wave sears new colours onto maps

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's record-breaking heat wave has sent temperatures soaring, melting road tar and setting off hundreds of wildfires - as well as searing new colours onto weather maps.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has added dark purple and magenta to its colour-coded weather forecasting map to represent temperatures of 51 to 54 degrees Celsius (123.8 to 129.2 Fahrenheit), officials said.