Rain, thunderstorms, powerful winds and dangerous surf will affect parts of eastern and southeastern Australia over the next few days under the influence of a northwest cloudband and two low pressure systems. The images below show a northwest cloudband traversing Australia over the past three days. This massive band of cloud, which was caused by […]
An East Coast Low is expected to form off the NSW coast this weekend, with heavy rainfall, powerful winds, erosive surf and cold temperatures forecast. An East Coast Low (ECL) is a type of low pressure system that forms close to the east coast of Australia and stays close to shore for at least 24 […]
The BoM has officially placed Australia on a La Niña watch, less than a month after El Niño was officially declared over. “There are some early signs that a La Niña might form in the Pacific Ocean later in 2024,” the BoM reported in its May 14 update. “As a result, the Bureau’s ENSO [El […]
Signs are pointing to the second consecutive positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) developing in the next few months. However, May is shaping up to be a time to make-or-break this event. What is a positive IOD? The IOD is a coupled ocean-atmosphere climate driver that changes the circulation patterns over the Indian Ocean. A positive […]
Heavy rainfall of up to 300mm is expected this Friday and Saturday for southeast Queensland and eastern NSW, as a powerful cut-off low and a moisture-rich coastal trough combine. A pool of cold air currently crossing the Great Australian Bight is expected to produce an upper-level low pressure system over southeastern Australia by Thursday. This […]
After dumping half a year’s worth of rainfall over Groote Eylandt in the past 48 hours, Tropical Cyclone Megan is building strength in the Gulf of Carpentaria and will make landfall over the NT coast on Monday night. Tropical Cyclone Megan formed on Saturday afternoon in the Gulf of Carpentaria, making it the fifth tropical […]
A tongue of water warm enough to support tropical cyclone development has been detected off the central NSW coast this month, breaking temperature records in the western Tasman Sea. Sea surface temperatures off the NSW coast have been running around 2 to 3°C above average in recent weeks, with some areas more than 3°C warmer […]
An active pulse of the Madden-Julian Oscillation will increase the risk of tropical cyclones and thunderstorms in the Australian region over the coming week. The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) refers to a pulse of increased tropical cloud, rainfall and thunderstorm activity that moves through our planet’s atmosphere, from west to east, near the equator. The MJO […]
Heavy rain and thunderstorms soaked parts of southeast Qld on Monday into Tuesday morning, with the unstable weather even causing a waterspout in Moreton Bay. Moisture-laden easterly surface winds feeding into a colder pool of air aloft caused ideal conditions for storms in southeast Qld on Monday. While a few storms developed late on Monday […]
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 […]
