Here in Texas, we normally have several weeks every year with high "official" temperatures over 100F (and over 110 is not unheard of and I've experienced 120 a few times) and it's not commonly reported about how this and that surface in the full sun is over 140 nor do we put thermometers out in the sun and claim it's accurate.

If it weren't the hottest week in Melbourne as a news reporting sensation, wouldn't these inflated temperatures readings still be proportional (if not the same?) to the official readings, i.e. if it were only 90F, wouldn't a black surface in the sun still be over 120F? Wow, that sounds really hot!!! but it probably happens all the time.