WA’s remote mining regions have been impacted by thunderstorm, lightning and heavy rainfall only detectable using remote sensing methods. Nearly 300,000 lightning strikes detected across WA DTN Total Lightning Network (TLN) detected over 288,000 lightning strikes above Western Australia between Wednesday and Sunday, August 26-30, 2026. A vast majority of this lightning was observed over […]
Fire agencies, land managers and businesses are being urged to prepare as the AFAC spring seasonal bushfire outlook, released on August 19, 2026, warns of elevated bushfire risk across Australia this season. The outlook identifies above-average fire danger across seven states and territories, with conditions driven by a combination of elevated fuel loads, an El Niño […]
The 2026 El Niño has the potential to become one of the strongest on record, raising the likelihood of a warm and dry spring and summer across much of Australia. With the risk of elevated bushfire conditions later this year, fire and land management agencies are being urged to begin seasonal preparedness early. Potential record-breaking El Niño Beneath the surface of the tropical Pacific Ocean, a pool of abnormally […]
El Niño–favourable conditions are gathering pace across the tropical Pacific, with key ocean indicators approaching threshold levels and early atmospheric responses emerging. While uncertainty remains around final El Niño strength, historical analogues show that even weak events can generate widespread impacts, including reduced rainfall, warmer daytime temperatures, increased frost risk, elevated fire danger, reduced tropical cyclone activity, and more. Industries including […]
There are signs that a very strong, or ‘super’ El Niño could develop in the tropical Pacific Ocean later this year. So, what does this mean for Australia’s weather during the second half of 2026? El Niño on the horizon The tropical Pacific Ocean is currently in a neutral state, meaning neither El Niño nor […]
Intense heat from bushfires during elevated fire danger days can trigger fire-induced pyrocumulonimbus thunderstorms that ignite additional fires. In early January 2026, an extreme heatwave sweeping over southeastern Australia brought catastrophic fire danger to Victoria. Intensely hot bush and grass fires spread erratically and quickly in hot, dry and gusty winds, with pyrocumulonimbus generating lightning, […]
Severe thunderstorms impacted southwest WA and the Perth region on Sunday, December 14, 2025, triggering Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts (DTA) by DTN for industries and businesses in the region. DTN operates Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts (DTA) which alert businesses and industries to thunderstorms based on intensity and movement. These alerts provide advanced notice of thunderstorms moving into […]
Hot, dry and windy weather causing elevated fire danger and severe heatwave conditions are sweeping across southeastern Australia over the next three days, driving high energy demand and disruption to operations. Clear skies associated a large and slow-moving high pressure system have allowed hot air to build up over parts of northern, western and central […]
The Australian and New Zealand Council for fire and emergency services (AFAC) identified western and southern WA, Victoria and inland NSW as key regions that are at risk of heightened bushfire risk this summer. Parts of Australia have experienced severe soil moisture and rainfall deficiencies over the past months and years, while high fuel loads […]
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 […]
