One of the world’s most consistent thunderstorms developed for the first time this season, signalling that the ‘build up’ across the north has begun. The image below shows the famous thunderstorm developing to Darwin’s north on Thursday afternoon. Image: Himawari satellite image at 3:15pm on Thursday, October 5. Nearly every afternoon the thunderstorm forms […]
A powerful northeasterly surf will build off NSW on Wednesday, followed almost immediately by a strong southerly swell, as an unusually strong transient low develops over the state. A cold front and trough crossing western NSW on Tuesday afternoon will stall overnight as a low pressure spins up (likely centred near Wagga Wagga) and starts […]
A positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event is gaining strength to the northwest of Australia, increasing the risk of hot and dry weather and fires in the coming months. What is the IOD? The IOD is an index that measures the difference in sea surface temperature anomalies between the western and eastern sides of the […]
Hailstorms are one of Australia’s most costly natural disasters. New research suggests that they are becoming more frequent in some of Australia’s cities. What is hail? Hailstones are made of layers of ice which form in thunderstorm updraughts. Hailstones grow larger by colliding with other rain droplets and ice particles in the updraft, until they […]
The Bureau of Meteorology has today declared the arrival of El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), a climate driver double-up that significantly increases the likelihood of unusually warm and dry weather across large areas of Australia in the second half of 2023. The Bureau made the El Niño and positive IOD declarations […]
Scientists are developing a new way to classify El Niño in a warming climate as rising ocean temperatures make existing methods less effective. This research, led by a team of international scientists, may even shed light on why the atmosphere has struggled to respond to this year’s developing El Niño. Warm, warm water in […]
Australia’s severe thunderstorm season is about to begin. But with a looming El Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole, what can we expect to see across the country this season? Thunderstorms impact Australia all year round. They are most common in eastern and northern Australia, where there is just the right mixture of heat and […]
The Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) has released its seasonal bushfire outlook for spring 2023, and it’s not great news for residents of several states. Take a look at the map below. Red shading represents areas with an increased risk of fire – which AFAC defines as the likelihood of an increased number of […]
A positive Indian Ocean Dipole pattern has started to emerge to the northwest of Australia, increasing the likelihood of abnormally warm and dry weather over large parts of the country this spring. The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) refers to an index that measures sea surface temperatures in the tropical Indian Ocean. A positive IOD occurs […]
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 […]
