Parts of outback Queensland have received a really good soaking in the past 24 hours, with numerous falls in the range of around 50-80 mm recorded to 9 am Wednesday in the vicinity of the outback towns of Cloncurry, Longreach and Mt Isa. Other parts of the state have also seen significant falls, and further […]
Hot temperatures are unpleasant, and occasionally dangerous to work in for the average human, but extreme temperatures also have an important impact on rail networks. The basic danger that extreme temperatures pose to rails is thermal expansion. Put simply: during hot weather, the steel rails expand, and they contract in the cold. This happens in […]
Severe storms are flaring up in Kimberley and Top End as the build-up to the monsoon ramps up. The build-up season is an unofficial season that generally runs between September and December in northern Australia. It is characterised by hot temperatures and building humidity. As the build-up continues, thunderstorms (especially in the afternoon) become […]
Rain and a few storms are on their way to the Pilbara as the official start to the wet season looms for some. A northwest cloudband is starting to develop over the Pilbara region as moisture is drawn in from tropical activity occurring near Indonesia. Over Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday, widespread falls of 10-30mm […]
A true dichotomy of weather has played out over the Northern Territory on Wednesday as a trough split the Top End in two. Video: Satellite and lightning showing the abundance of bush and grass fires in the west with powerful storms building in the east Plumes of smoke from both bushfires and grassfires can be […]
The build-up is well and truly underway in northern Australia, with showers and thunderstorms on the forecast for Darwin on most days in the coming week. Northern Australia is currently coming out of its dry season and has entered the build-up, a time of year that is characterised by rising humidity and increasing rain […]
Renewable energy is fast becoming a major source of energy across Australia and this revolution is affecting the mining industry. Energy is one of the biggest expenses for mining companies. This is being compounded by the current cost and volatility of energy amid the surging price of gas and a complex mix of international […]
Lightning is one of the most dangerous weather phenomena and awareness of its location or distance from your workplace is paramount to safety. Fortunately, Weatherzone’s lightning detection and lightning alerting systems can reduce incidents in the field, improve awareness of lightning risk and minimise down time in the field. Total Lightning Network is a […]
Weatherzone’s WZBob expansion system extends your lightning alerting capabilities in the field, ensuring your staff stay safe and aware. With a combination of light beacons, sounders and a modular, scalable configuration, you can customise the setup to suit any site arrangement and maximise your coverage. Seamless, Scalable Integration WZBob easily integrates with your existing […]
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 […]
