The Australian region is primed for severe tropical cyclones this season, despite an ongoing trend of reduced tropical cyclone activity over Australian waters in recent decades. Australia’s tropical cyclone season officially runs from the start of November to the end of April. During this six-month period, the Australian region usually sees around 9 to 10 […]
Sydney’s days have been so hot this October that the city is currently on track to break the average maximum temperature record for November. Frequent westerly winds, a lack of cloud and rain, and repetitive bouts of hot air from inland NSW have caused Sydney’s daytime temperatures to run about 5°C above average so far […]
The Fiji Meteorological Service and New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmosphere Research (NIWA) both released their 2025-26 tropical cyclone outlooks last week, with elevated risks focused on New Caledonia, Vanuatu and New Zealand’s North Island. The Fiji Meteorological Service is responsible for tropical cyclone services across the local Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) […]
A La Niña advisory has been issued by the US Climate Prediction Center (CPC), indicating that La Niña conditions have emerged in the tropical Pacific Ocean and are expected to continue for the coming months. What is La Niña? La Niña is one of three phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a coupled ocean-atmosphere […]
Australian agricultural, forestry and fire emergency agencies and industries that were hoping for a wetter than average spring have been left disappointed by a lacklustre start to the season, despite the emergence of a strong negative Indian Ocean Dipole in recent weeks. Official rainfall outlooks at the end of August were pointing to a good […]
The southern hemisphere’s polar vortex is weakening in response to a rare episode of stratospheric warming above Antarctica, a phenomenon that could affect weather patterns across Australia in the coming weeks. What is the polar vortex? The term polar vortex refers to a large rotating column of cold air surrounded by powerful winds, which develops […]
A negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event is now underway, increasing the likelihood of above average rain over large parts of Australia in the coming months. What is the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)? The IOD is an index used to monitor sea surface temperatures across the tropical Indian Ocean. It’s an important index for the […]
The likelihood of La Niña occurring in 2025 has increased due to a change in the way the Bureau of Meteorology calculates sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific Ocean. What is La Niña? La Niña refers to a distinct pattern of sea surface temperatures across the tropical Pacific Ocean. When La Niña is […]
Stratospheric warming high above Antarctica could cause the Southern Hemisphere’s polar vortex to weaken at an unusually fast pace over the coming weeks. This weakened polar vortex has the potential to affect weather patterns across Australia and other parts of the Southern Hemisphere. What is the polar vortex? The polar vortex is a large circulating […]
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 […]
