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. […]
Spring has been a stormy season for large areas of WA, with another few big storm days ahead in the Pilbara and Kimberley region. Merely a week ago, widespread thunderstorms lashed the interior of WA, with Total Lightning Network detecting 605,166 lightning strikes on Wednesday, October 2. Thunderstorms are again forecast over the coming days […]
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 […]
