Australia’s scorching summer has broken 123 weather-related records, according to a Climate Commission report that links the extreme conditions to climate change.

New benchmarks include the hottest day for the whole country, the warmest January and the hottest summer.

Forty-four weather stations recorded all-time high temperatures, while the hottest nationwide average came on January 7, at 40.3°C.

In 102 years there have been only 21 days when the average maximum temperature has passed 39°C. Eight of those days were in January.

The Climate Commission has dubbed it the “Angry Summer”.

“Extreme heatwaves and catastrophic bushfire conditions… were made worse by climate change,” the report by Commissioner and ANU professor Will Steffen says.

“Australia’s Angry Summer shows that climate change is already adversely affecting Australians.

“It is highly likely that extreme hot weather will become even more frequent and severe in Australia and around the globe over the coming decades.”

There have been 29 warmest night records this summer, 26 daily rainfall records and five river height records.

The length, extent and severity of the heatwave are unprecedented in recorded history, the report says.

It is particularly unusual because it has taken place outside an El Nino cycle – a period of warm, dry conditions that raises temperatures.

Dangerous fire conditions have affected much of southeast Australia.

Climate change is increasing the length of fire seasons, affecting the time available to reduce hazards and prepare communities, the report says.

With prolonged periods of low rainfall and increased frequency and intensity of extreme heat, the Forest Fire Danger Index has grown significantly across southeast Australia since 1973.

The summer’s extreme rainfall is consistent with what scientists expect to see more often in a warming climate.

Higher ocean surface temperatures cause increased evaporation, leading to more rain.