A stormy week is well and truly underway for WA, with more to come in the coming days. Rain, and plenty of it, is set to soak virtually the entire state. And while some places will inevitably only see a few drops or miss out entirely, plenty of areas will see good falls. Image: Three-day […]
Thunderstorms will develop over large areas of Australia every day this week and likely continue into next week as the country becomes locked into a relentless stormy weather pattern through the middle of November. Thunderstorms require three key ingredients to form: Moisture in the atmosphere An unstable atmosphere A lifting mechanism that causes air to […]
Spring is in full swing in Australia, with a warm and humid environment set to bring thunderstorms to several states and territories in the next week. A series of low pressure troughs and low pressure systems interacting with abundant atmospheric moisture will trigger daily showers and thunderstorms over Australia in the coming week. This persistent […]
A large pool of unusually warm water to the northwest of Australia will increase the risk of strong tropical cyclones near WA this season. The map below shows that sea surface temperatures near Australia’s northwest coast are currently more than 2°C above average for this time of year. Some pockets are even more than 3°C […]
Australia’s climate is changing, with shifts in temperature, rainfall, wind, extreme fire weather and tropical cyclone activity being observed across the continent, according to the new State of the Climate report published this week. The State of the Climate 2024 report was issued by the Bureau of meteorology and the CSIRO, which communicates the […]
Today, November 1, marks the beginning of Australia’s 2024-25 tropical cyclone season. Here’s what to expect over Australia’s tropics this season and what each cyclone will be named. The Australian tropical cyclone season runs from the start of November to the end of April. While tropical cyclones can occur in the Australian region at any […]
A burst of unusually hot weather will cause severe to extreme heatwave conditions across parts of three states and territories in northern Australia this week, with the heat also elevating fire danger ratings in some places. Northern Australia is certainly no stranger to heat at this time of year. The country’s highest temperature ever recorded […]
Globally, ocean temperatures are at record levels for the second consecutive year, and this has played a part in creating one of the costliest hurricane seasons on record in the North Atlantic. Forecasts are suggesting a similar impact of the hot oceans here in Australia for the coming tropical cyclone season. Link between hot oceans […]
Sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean suggest that a negative phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) may be emerging, which could influence Australian weather patterns in the coming months. What is the Indian Ocean Dipole? The IOD is an index that measures the difference in sea surface temperatures across the tropical Indian Ocean. […]
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 […]
Australia has just experienced a highly impactful tropical cyclone season, with more than 60% of systems reaching severe intensity, causing widespread disruption and damage to communities and multiple industries across northern Australia. The 2025–26 Australian tropical cyclone season officially ran from 1 November 2025 to 30 April 2026. During this six-month period, Australia saw 11 tropical cyclones, with nine […]
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, […]
