A blob of warm water lurking beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean is increasing the likelihood that El Niño will develop later this year. The prospect of El Niño in 2023 is not new news. International forecast models have been hinting at the return of El Niño since late last year. However, these predictions […]
Australia just had one of its warmest Marches on record as La Niña’s end brought drier and warmer weather to large parts of the country. Australia’s mean temperature last month was 1.11ºC above the 1961-1990 average, making it the nation’s equal 10th warmest March in 114 years of records. This late season-heat was most noticeable […]
Nearly three weeks into autumn does seem like an odd time for the eastern states to see their highest temperatures of the hot season so far, so we examine what is causing this late blast of heat. Recent temperatures have indeed been hotter than in summer by some metrics. Of the eastern capitals: Canberra […]
Global ocean temperatures have rebounded to record-challenging high levels this week as our planet shakes off the cooling influence of La Niña. Earth’s ocean temperatures have been rising in recent decades due to the ongoing warming influence of climate change. According to data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the global ocean […]
It’s over. La Niña and the wetter-than-usual weather it typically brings to large parts of Australia is officially behind us. Last week, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center (CPC) declared that the 2022/23 La Niña had ended, paving the way for a return of drier and warmer weather in Australia. Today Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology came to […]
Parts of Australia could be at risk of a flash drought in 2023, with growing signs that El Niño may develop in the Pacific Ocean later this year. The current La Niña event, which underpinned record-breaking rain and flooding in eastern Australia last year, is about to end. This can be said with confidence […]
Large areas of Australia could be in for an unusually dry and warm autumn as La Niña loses its grip on our weather. The latest seasonal outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology shows significant potential for below average rain and above average daytime temperatures for most of Australia this autumn. Images: Chance of exceeding the […]
An abundance of drying vegetation off the back of three consecutive La Niña events could fuel record-challenging grass fires across Australia later this year, warns a former Commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW. Unprecedented rain and flooding in recent years, fuelled by three back-to-back La Niña events, has created a boom in vegetation growth across […]
A positive Indian Ocean Dipole may be brewing this year, that would lead to a dry winter and spring in 2023. But how much faith should we have in this forecast? The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is a similar climate driver to El Niño and La Niña in the Pacific Ocean. It is based […]
Australia’s tropical cyclone season is officially underway, but we may not see much activity for few months yet. The season runs from November to April, and for mining operators and businesses across northern Australia, 2026-27 is shaping up to be a season where the headline numbers and the real risk may not line up. On […]
A positive Indian Ocean Dipole is underway, but this one is unlikely to deliver the textbook dry spring and summer that businesses have come to expect from the pattern. The Bureau of Meteorology officially declared a positive IOD on Tuesday, October 27, which typically like El Niño can cause drier and warmer conditions over parts of […]
Waters off Indonesia have cooled in recent weeks, an indication that a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event could be developing. It’s an important climate driver for Australia, and it could shape rainfall and temperatures heading into summer, with flow-on effects for farmers, energy and other industries. What is the Indian Ocean Dipole? The IOD […]
Leonora, WA, had its wettest September day on record earlier this month. Three weeks later, more than 1.3 million lightning pulses were detected within 800 km of the town in 48 hours. Why is a stalled trough delivering storms to mining country, and what it could mean for operations? The DTN Total Lightning Network detected […]
