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 […]
Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and flooding rainfall have disrupted transport, rail, aviation and many other industries across NSW as a low pressure system tracked over the state. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in western NSW A tornado was observed near the town of Young on the South West Slopes of New South Wales around 3:30pm on Wednesday […]
A negative Indian Ocean Dipole event is a near certainty to develop in 2025 as both the oceans and atmosphere show strong signs of coupling. What is the Indian Ocean Dipole? The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is a climate driver that involves the movement and location of warmer and colder waters along the equator in […]
The latest seasonal bushfire outlook from Australian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) warns of elevated fire risk for northern Western Australia, eastern South Australia and much of western Victoria this spring. In WA, a large portion of the Kimberley and inland Pilbara are highlighted as areas at an increased risk of fires this […]
Relentless rainfall has soaked already sodden areas of eastern NSW this week, leading to flooding, road and rail disruptions, and Sydney’s wettest August day in nearly two decades. A deep stream of moist easterly winds has cause rain to soak parts of NSW and southeast Queensland every day between Monday and Friday this week. Most […]
Increased fire danger across parts of northern Australia, including Darwin, comes with a surge of hot and dry winds from the interior. 75 days without rain The dry season is living up to its name for Darwin and the Northern Territory, with over 75 days since the last rain recorded in Darwin. This allows the […]
Severe thunderstorms producing heavy rain, large hail and lightning are impacting parts of Queensland and NSW on Thursday. Winter is a quiet time for thunderstorm activity in eastern Australia because there is less atmospheric instability and surface heating for the storms to develop compared to spring and summer. However, there are rare cases where all […]
Abnormally warm oceans surrounding Australia and a developing negative Indian Ocean Dipole will increase the likelihood of abnormally wet weather across large parts of the country this spring, along with an increased risk of flooding and severe thunderstorms disrupting businesses and industries. Spring in Australia runs for three months from the start of September to […]
Sydney’s soggiest August weekend in nearly three decades adds onto an already well above average month of rain as moist onshore winds stream into eastern NSW, with saturated grounds leaving NSW businesses and industries in a vulnerable position. Video: Radar imagery showing rainfall moving across the metropolitan region on Sunday, August 10, 2025. A moist […]
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 […]
