Almost 260,000 people, half of them young children, died of hunger during the last famine in Somalia, according to a UN report that admits the world body should have done more to prevent the tragedy. The drought was one of the world's worst recorded 'megadroughts', which at its peak saw much of the country get less than 40 per cent of its annual rainfall, with 1902 the driest year on record.The CSIRO has conducted new research trying to reconstruct the drought.It did so by studying thousands of historical records and eyewitness accounts of the drought and combined that with rainfall records. Native birds and mammals died under trees, in creeks, and on the plains. The Federation Drought began in 1895 and reached its peak in 1901 and 1902. In the late 19th century, Australia was struck by a heatwave so intense that 435 people were killed and hundreds more were sent fleeing for their lives.The 1895-1896 heatwave during the Federation Drought holds the record as Australia's deadliest heatwave, closely followed by 2009, which recorded at least The town of Bourke lost at least 40 people — 1.6 per cent of its population — during the 1896 event, while Sydney authorities reported hospitals at breaking point and pedestrians collapsing in the streets.Newspaper reports describe temperatures in Bourke reaching 48.9 degrees Celsius on three occasions, and the maximum temperature remaining above 38C for 24 consecutive days.But climate scientists say that is an oversimplification, and the heatwaves we experience today are significantly hotter than those in the past.In January 1896, the Bourke Western Herald chronicled the rapid deaths of dozens of residents from heat-related conditions, warning that "living in Bourke under present conditions is … suicide". "How could it be getting hotter and how could last year, 2013, be the hottest year on record, if it was hotter back in 1896 … 118 years ago? "This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.Live: Man in his 20s becomes Australia's youngest coronavirus victim'That's not good enough': PM apologises for aged care coronavirus response falling short'Screaming in their sleep like they're being murdered': Ex-soldiers sound alarm on potential COVID-19 drugNSW records nine new COVID-19 cases as nearly 30,000 get testedThe airlines knew the Ruby Princess was a ticking time bomb but were powerless to stop itMan in his 20s among 14 new coronavirus deaths recorded in VictoriaAnalysis: Trump just admitted he's stalling pandemic relief to make it harder to vote'Mortified': Contact tracers fail to notify COVID-19 close contactGhislaine Maxwell faces 'strong likelihood' of many years in prison Fortnite maker sues Apple, makes parody '1984' ad after being kicked off App StoreOpinion: There's one hot button issue haunting MorrisonEmotional burden of stage 4 restrictions heavier on lone-person householdsUnprecedented new laws are in place to protect WA's billions from Clive Palmer. "And last summer was over two degrees hotter than average. "We're looking to do this through reviewing recent rainfall data and using this to determine which areas, but also which ecosystems and species are on the brink of decline. The Millennium Drought, from 2001 to 2009, devastated communities, industries and the environment, which all rely on a healthy River Murray to prosper. "But then in 2013, that summer was 1.5 degrees hotter than average. "Tens of millions of sheep and cattle were killed, and hundreds of millions of rabbits died of starvation after stripping the landscape of its plant life," he saidResearchers say that if a drought similar to the Federation drought was to take place today, changes in landscape and land use would change how parts of the country would react. In 1901, the drought was was widely spread in Eastern "So although [1896] was a hot season, it wasn't nearly as hot as some of the seasons we've seen since then. "In view of the rapidly increasing rate of mortality it can scarcely be a matter of surprise that the town is panic-stricken. The amount of money available to support the tens of millions of people affected is well short. "And last summer was over two degrees hotter than average. A Stevenson screen was not installed in Bourke until August 1908, meaning temperature readings from before that could be inflated by as much as 2C.University of Melbourne climate researcher Linden Ashcroft said thermometers in Bourke were likely placed in sub-standard conditions in 1896. India reels under worst drought in decades, heat kills dozens. "So although [1896] was a hot season, it wasn't nearly as hot as some of the seasons we've seen since then.

"Before about 1910 for the country, temperature observations are a little bit higher — they are unnaturally higher than we would expect. So what now?New COVID-19 cases in NSW likely 10 times higher than official figures, expert warnsLive: Man in his 20s becomes Australia's youngest coronavirus victim'Screaming in their sleep like they're being murdered': Ex-soldiers sound alarm on potential COVID-19 drug'Mortified': Contact tracers fail to notify COVID-19 close contactMan in his 20s among 14 new coronavirus deaths recorded in VictoriaTrump just admitted he's stalling pandemic relief to make it harder to voteLive: Man in his 20s becomes Australia's youngest coronavirus victim'That's not good enough': PM apologises for aged care coronavirus response falling short'Screaming in their sleep like they're being murdered': Ex-soldiers sound alarm on potential COVID-19 drugNSW records nine new COVID-19 cases as nearly 30,000 get testedThe airlines knew the Ruby Princess was a ticking time bomb but were powerless to stop itMan in his 20s among 14 new coronavirus deaths recorded in VictoriaAnalysis: Trump just admitted he's stalling pandemic relief to make it harder to vote'Mortified': Contact tracers fail to notify COVID-19 close contact'Big win' for patients as border restrictions eased for specialist treatmentMan who arrived on repatriation flight becomes SA's latest coronavirus caseTasmania's 2019-20 deficit revised down to $273m, but Premier urges cautionTourism operators rejoice as thousands flock to hotels and beaches for Brisbane's long weekendPolice make another arrest over Murray boat crash that killed SA father

In all, 14 people died, and damage to bridges, roads, railways and telephonelines took months to repair.