Five tropical lows are forecast to form over the northern Australia waters this week, with an increased risk of heavy rainfall and tropical cyclone potential. The enhanced tropical activity comes as two giant tropical waves clash near Australia this week, called the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) and an equatorial Kelvin Wave. In addition to […]
After a searing hot day, Western Australians sweltered through a near record warm night last night causing energy demand to surge. The uncomfortable days and nights are being caused by extremely hot and dry easterly winds flowing over the west coast in response to Severe Tropical Cyclone Sean. Image: 850hPa temperature and wind at 8pm […]
Tropical Cyclone Sean has intensified into a severe Category 3 storm, with record-breaking rainfall and damaging winds likely impacting mining, rail and port operations in the Pilbara region. Overnight, it lashed Western Australia’s Pilbara coastline with extremely heavy rain and damaging winds, however the good news is that it is now predicted to track out […]
A developing low pressure system off Australia’s northwest coast has a high chance of becoming a tropical cyclone this weekend, with the potential for heavy rain and wind to impact some mining and port clients in the Pilbara. Two separate areas of low pressure lying off the northern coast of WA are expected to consolidate […]
Dangerous thunderstorms developed across northern WA in the early hours of this morning bringing intense rainfall to some mine sites in the region. A broad low pressure trough sitting over northern WA was behind the wild storm activity over the weekend and into Monday. The infrared satellite images below show the very tall, large and […]
The long-awaited monsoon could finally develop over northern Australia towards the end of next week, increasing the risk of heavy rain, thunderstorms and tropical cyclones in the second half of January. Historically the monsoon arrives around late December on average, so its potential arrival next week is considered tardy. However, the latest monsoon onset at […]
Energy demand will surge across large areas of WA as daytime temperatures climb into the mid-40s, with the warmest December night on record possible for Perth. The relentless heat will be caused by a stubborn high pressure system in the Bight, with prevailing easterly winds dragging an extremely hot airmass over northern WA, which will […]
Abnormally warm ocean temperatures to the northwest of Australia will energise a swarm of tropical lows in the next couple of weeks, increasing the risk of tropical cyclone development before Christmas. The map below shows abundant cloud cover to the northwest of Australia at the beginning of this week. This tropical cloud cover has formed […]
WA is bracing for a brutal heatwave for at least five days, with temperatures soaring into the 40s and heightened fire risks affecting much of the state. Western Australia is preparing for a relentless heatwave over the next five days, with temperatures climbing into the 40s and fire danger levels rising across much of the […]
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 […]
