Record-shattering, 'unprecedented' heat scorches Australia, Chile and Argentina

While we've been shivering up here, folks in the Southern Hemisphere have been baking in all-time record summertime heat.

Records have been set recently in Australia, Chile and Argentina, sparking wildfires and exacerbating droughts.

In Australia, the heat was so intense it caused bats to fall from trees and snakes to seek refuge in people’s toilets, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Capital Weather Gang.

Overall, it was the hottest January in Australia ever recorded, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology reported. The heatwaves there were "unprecedented in their scale and duration," the bureau said.

One remarkable record was set in Port Augusta, Australia, which soared to 121 degrees. That's the hottest temperature ever recorded at a coastal location in the Southern Hemisphere, according to Weather Underground meteorologist Bob Henson.